Gordon's Girl
by Ship's Cat
Summary: Who was Gordon's girl? What happened to tear them apart? What will the future bring? COMPLETE!
1. Default Chapter

**GORDON'S GIRL  
by  
Gail Gardner  
**   
**Prologue**  
Jeff Tracy smiled indulgently at the raucous sounds of laughter coming from the den. Everyone was still bubbly and enthusiastic from Virgil's and Marie's wedding yesterday._(See Island of Danger)_ Fate had lent a kind hand and no rescues had interrupted the occasion. The happy couple had already departed for their honeymoon that morning. The boys were cleaning out the last of the wedding goodies in an impromptu aprés wedding party.  
  
"So where do you think they went for their honeymoon?" Alan asked and popped two cream puffs into his mouth at once making his cheeks bulge out like a squirrel.  
  
"D-definitely not H-Hawaii." Brains delicately manouvered a whole bowl of candied almonds closer. He successfully deflected a grab by Scott to share the delicacies.  
  
"African safari?" John piped up from the vid console. He had his feet up and a smear of icing from the piece of cake he was eating decorated his upper lip. He had come down for the wedding, but had returned almost immediately to Thunderbird 5, taking with him a rather lion size share of the leftovers, or so his brothers complained.  
  
"Hey you got wedding cake and a hole." Alan protested.  
  
"I saved mine and didn't bolt it immediately."John licked his fork meaningfully. "What hole?"  
  
"In your sock." Scott crept a hand closer to the sugared almonds.  
  
"In your dr-dreams." Brains snarled and clutched the bowl of almonds closer.  
  
"Well, it probably doesn't matter where they are." John waved his fork philosophically. A clump of icing floated off towards the floor in the low gravity. "They aren't going to be sightseeing."  
  
This remarks provoked some chortles among the brothers.  
  
"What will they be doing?" Alan asked innocently. The pause and stare he got from his brothers and Brains enabled him to snag the last piece of pecan pie. He threw a few more cream puffs on top to garnish it.  
  
"Hasn't anyone told this kid about the birds and the bees yet?" Gordon considered grabbing the plate from his brother, but settled for a brownie.  
  
"Hmmmphh. Ag know whas ther doin'" Alan protected his property by taking a big mouthful. "Magin us ungles."  
  
"Th-they just g-got married yesterday. G-give them a little t-time." Brains tipped the bowl of almonds into his pocket.  
  
"Hey! Foul! No fair taking food off the table. Put it back.!"Scott yelled.  
  
"Don't bother. Do you really want it with all of Brains' pocket lint?" Gordon said and pushed over a bowl of mints to the frustrated Scott.  
  
"Tho, whoth next?"Alan asked.  
  
"Don't talk with your mouth full!" Scott scolded and grabbed the rest of the pie sitting in front of Alan.  
  
"Whose next, what?" John considered the plate before him, the selection seemed to be dwindling, but it was only himself on Thunderbird 5.  
  
"Getting m-married of c-course." Brains blew the lint off a sugar almond and popped it into his mouth. "P-pity Marie is an orphan. If she had s-sisters." Brains had been given the honor of giving away the bride, a role he took great pleasure and seriousness.  
  
"Tin Tin caught the bouquet."John mentioned.  
  
"She was the only single woman there, who else was gonna catch it?" Scott took a mint and was tossing it up in the air and catching it with his mouth.  
  
"Not that Alan is going to do anything about it for a while. He's too young." Gordon pointed a fork at his youngest brother.  
  
"I'm a lot older than you were when you and Char..." Alan began hotly.  
  
.Gordon looked pale and green, all of a sudden, and Scott didn't think it had to do with the amount of food he'd been consuming.  
  
"What's this?" Scott looked at his two younger brothers suspiciously  
  
"Shut up Alan." Gordon hissed.  
  
"You are always harping on how young I am and picking on me. I was four hours in that banana suit. Gordon was barely out of school and he..."  
  
"I said shut up Alan!" Gordon got out of his seat and was leaning dangerously across the table.  
  
"Hey Gordie!" John's voice echoed over the speaker rather tinnily. "Cool down."  
  
"Okay, okay. I won't say anything more." Alan held up his hands in surrender. Gordon was usually easy going, but an angry Gordon was not a pretty sight.  
  
"Oh sure. Like you weren't the one who ratted on us. No one else knew Alan. I trusted you with my biggest secret and you told her father." Gordon was truly steaming by now. Scott and Brains had risen to their feet to intercept.  
  
"I didn't. I swear! I wouldn't do that Gordon! I wouldn't!" Alan looked close to tears.  
  
Jeff raised his head up from the newspaper. Years of fatherly instinct kicked in. The tones coming from the den sounded menacing. What now? He got to the door just in time to see Gordon lunge across the table at his younger brother with Scott and Brains trying to hold him back. This was more serious than a squabble over a last cupcake.  
  
"What's going on here?" He tried his best fatherly tone. He was unprepared for the look of total rage on Gordon's face as he faced him.  
  
"Proud of Virgil are you father?" He struggled against his brother and the scientist. "The first Tracy boy to get married. I hope his marriage lasts longer than mine did. But, then you and Judge Jones made sure it didn't." He shrugged away from the hands holding him. "Aw just leave me be." He growled and stalked out onto the dark balcony.  
  
Scott made to follow, but was stopped by his father's hand. "Give him a little space, Scott."  
  
"I didn't mean to upset him." Alan sniffed unhappily. "I thought he was over it. He never talks about her."  
  
"I know son." Jeff looked unhappily at the shadowy figure leaning over the balcony rail. "Under the circumstances, I'm not surprised that this brought up bad memories."  
  
"Will someone for Pete's sake tell me what is happening?" John was trying to peer around the room within the confines of the camera.  
  
"I th-think we sh-should know." Brains looked at Scott who nodded.  
  
Jeff sighed. "A week after his graduation from high school Gordon got married."  
  



	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**  
  
Gordon Tracy walked down the hall of Eleanor Roosevelt High School as a senior - finally. He got a few high fives from some of the guys and a singing chorus of 'Hi Gordon' from a group of giggling girls. Ah, they were only sophomores, not worthy of his lofty attention.  
  
Signs adorned the walls proclaiming **TRACY FOR CLASS PRESIDENT!!** It looked like he was a shoo-in for that job as the competition was only minimal. He approached his locker which was painted a shiny gold color by the school in honor of his Olympic gold medal in the butterfly which he won last summer. His red hair was now a respectable length as opposed to the crew he had while swimming and joy of all joys there wasn't a zit on his face.  
  
The locker opened, spilling out a small pile of notes shoved in through the vent. Little folded pieces of pastel paper smelling like a ladies hairdressing place. All invitations from girls to parties, to get togethers, and few other interesting propositions that were definitely on the wild side of life.  
  
Okay, so he didn't have a steady. The two years leading up to the Olympics had been too busy for that sort of thing. He could actually pick any girl he wanted, but somehow, no one really got to him. He wanted more than just a girl to parade on his arm, he wanted. Well, he didn't really know what he wanted, but he knew when he saw her he'd know it.  
  
Not for the first time, nor for the last he wished his older brothers were home. He especially missed John. They had more or less amiably shared a room until John went off to the Air Force and despite the occasional brotherly spat remained the best of friends.   
  
His older brothers used to come home pretty often, but Scott and Virgil both were deep in astronaut training and rarely even called. John was off in some South American jungle romping with SETI types and at the mercy of antiquated vid systems. Even Brains was off to MIT wowing the old folk with his brilliance. Father, of course, was busy with business.   
  
Alan was okay, but once he'd gotten interested in cars, it was like they were speaking different languages. Anyway a senior shouldn't be seen fraternizing with a lower classman, even if it was a sibling.  
  
He had it all.  
  
He had nothing.  
  
"Oooo Gordy can I have your autograph?" A whiny high-pitched voice broke into his introspection.  
  
He turned to grin down at the short, slightly plump girl looking at him with undisguised adoration. Her short spiky hair was died an unnatural shade of blonde. She fluttered her eyes at him.  
  
"How much are they worth?" He crossed his arms and tried to look serious.  
  
"Weeelll. You aren't worth much. But, I'm willing to invest in you." The whiny voice was replaced by a thick New York accent.  
  
"Em, you crack me up!"Gordon laughed and ruffled the girl's hair cut into further disorder. "Why you don't go out for drama is beyond me."  
  
"Too busy for frivolous things." She said seriously. Her normal voice was surprisingly husky for such a small girl.   
  
"Too busy for a movie?"   
  
Her eyes lit up and her whole face glowed with pleasure. "Whacha got?"  
  
"Ten original copies of Tom Corbett, Space Cadet."  
  
"Yes! Lock and Load! The usual place? Day after tomorrow?" She said enthusiastically, practically dancing in front of him with excitement.  
  
"It's a date." Gordon managed to field the punch to the ribs just as the bell rang. Of course, it wasn't a date. He and Em had been sharing a passion for old vids since they were Freshmen. Em was the perfect accomplice for some of his better practical jokes and an able study partner when school work intruded on real life. Good old Em.  
  
Then he saw her. She was floating down the corridor a petite vision in mint green, her soft red hair wafting like a flame behind her. His jaw dropped in astonishment. Where did this beauty spring from?   
  
"C'mon Tracy, we'll be late for class!" Someone reminded him waking him from his reverie.  
  
Gordon still stood dumbstruck. As if she subconsciously knew he was looking at her, the girl turned and glanced at him. Brilliant blue eyes met his and he felt a shock of deja vu. He had seen her before...but where?  
  
Gordon came to himself with a start when the slamming of doors signalled that he was going to show up for class late. Eleanor Roosevelt High School, or Ellie Rose it more familiarly known to the students, prided itself on academic excellence. Ellie Rose kept a tight rein on it's brilliant and often rambunctious student body by a strict code of rules, which applied to seniors as well. Late meant an extra study hall and he had other things planned...now like hunting down the elusively familiar redhead.  
  
  



	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**  
  
Life on Tracy Island was, at times, just like life on a tropical island. The family spent days lazing in the sun, catching up on reading, or playing together.  
  
The fates seemed to add an extra week of vacation for the newlyweds as there were no call outs or emergencies to interrupt their idyllic bliss. Or at least to the rest of the family it seemed that Virgil and Marie did nothing but look blissful.  
  
"I feel like I should be brushing my teeth more often." Jeff remarked off handedly to his mother after sitting in the same room with the couple. Their kissing and hugging was almost to the point of embarrassment.   
  
"They are sweet." Granny smiled. "I seem to recall...."  
  
Jeff waved a hand airily. "Yes, I know. I know."   
  
"I was going to say I recall that your father and I were much the same way. I wouldn't presume to assume what you and Lucille did as newlyweds." she swatted him with a towel to punctuate the point.  
  
"I get the point, Mother. I'll try not to interfere."  
  
"Well, it is kinda hard with them living with the family." Granny had noticed that the other boys seemed a bit uncomfortable while Virgil and Marie were so obviously wrapped up in each other.  
  
Yet, things were not so easy with the couple. They already had their first fight, made up and were finding things not as easy as one in love would think.  
  
"Why can't I take part in your rescues?" Marie had her chin propped up on her hand as she watched Virgil lifting some small barbells.  
  
"Not a good idea." Virgil said gruffly. He was on about the fiftieth lift and his muscles were trembling with the effort. The sweat running down his back seemed to run cold all of a sudden as he met the serious gaze his wife bent on him.   
  
"Because I have a wooden leg." She replied flatly.  
  
"You know that doesn't make any difference to me." Virgil snapped. Hadn't he showed her that it didn't matter? He might have even said so once or twice.  
  
"Then why? I can take care of myself. I can be helpful. I'm not exactly unexperienced in dealing with crises."  
  
Virgil put down the weights and grabbed the towel to rub at his sweaty chest and biceps.  
"I know, but..." He paused to throw himself down on the bed next to her. Her body leaned into his and he bent his head for a kiss.  
  
"You're changing the subject..."Marie muttered into his mouth, but her lips were as hungry as his.  
  
"Afraid." He whispered.  
  
"I wouldn't be afraid." Marie's eyes met his.  
  
"I would be. I couldn't do it with you there. I'd worry all the time." He cupped her face with his hands. "I couldn't bear it if..."   
  
The heat of the words and the emotions swept over them - they missed dinner and only showed up at breakfast looking rather sheepish, but sickenly sweet - as usual.  
  
Gordon had seemed his own usual self over that past two weeks, but inside of him a restless spark grew and burned. He had been the typical sailor with a girl in every port, sometimes even two or three, he would fall for a girl and then fall just as quickly out again. What was he looking for? A flash of an angelic smile, a husky laugh, and an auburn head on his shoulder flashed through his mind. He shook his head, that was the past - long gone - long dead.  
  
As if preparing them for the calm before the storm, the Tracy men were called out on a rescue. A lahar, a volcanic mud slide was threatening a rather sparsely inhabited, but inhabited nonetheless, part of Peru. Gordon and Alan went along with Thunderbird 2, as they might need all the extra hands available.   
  
As rescue operations went, it seemed fairly straight forward. They went in, did their best, saved a lot of people and came home incredibly filthy.  
  
Virgil was greeted enthusiastically by his wife, but she wisely left off the hug until he was in the shower. Virgil discovered a few extra perks of married life.   
  
"After your debriefing I'll give you a back rub." She purred into his shoulder her fingers running lightly down his broad back.  
  
"We don't bother with debriefings unless something goes wrong." Virgil rotated his shoulders in pleasure. "I can have my backrub now." He turned to see his wife disappear out the shower into their bedroom. She was yanking on clothes and hopping on one leg until she jammed the prosthetic limb on with an ungentle jerk.  
  
"Honey? Uh where are you going?" He grabbed a towel as he was dripping over the carpet.  
  
"I'm going to save your life, and that of your brothers." She said determinedly and stormed out of their room.  
  
"Wait. Oh blast..."Virgil began pulling clothes on over his sopping wet body. "Marie!"  
  
Jeff said back in his chair and sighed deeply. He enjoyed the bustle of the household. He could hear things get back to normal after the hectic tension of a rescue. He was brought bolt upright by the sight of Marie bearing down on him with her eyes blazing with fury. My heavens he hadn't seen a woman so angry since...  
  
"How dare you endanger my husband's life and that of his brothers by not debriefing them after every mission?!" She leaned over the desk to within inches of his nose. Her wet hair dripped onto his desk and onto the papers scattered there.  
  
"Do you know what kind of risk you are putting them through? It's no wonder that Virgil has nightmares. What about Scott, Alan, Gordon, and John? Do they wake up in cold sweats? Do you know? Do you care?"  
  
"Now wait up! Of course I care." Jeff began to get peeved himself. Who was she to come in and start pushing his buttons. "We always can talk about our work."  
  
"That is not a proper debriefing or a defusing."  
  
Virgil was trying to button a shirt and was stopped in the doorway by Scott.  
  
"Marie..." He pushed at his brother's arm.  
  
"She's tearing a strip off Father." Scott looked tense, matter of fact Scott looked really wound up.  
  
"Whasup?" Gordon came behind him towelling his hair. He peered around his brother to see his father wave his finger under Marie's nose. She retaliated by grabbing the finger.  
  
"Don't you get all I'm the boss here, cause that doesn't cut it with me. I have been doing crisis work for five years and have a degree in psychology. I know what I'm talking about." She snarled back at him.  
  
"Wow!" Alan joined them in the doorway. "That's one mean lady."  
  
"That's my wife." Virgil picked up the younger man by the shirt front. "I don't need your criticism."  
  
"Hey. Cool it." Scott snapped.  
  
"Cool it." Virgil dropped his little brother and turned on his older brother. "You cool it. You rode my tail the whole time we were there. You acted as if I didn't know what I was doing. I'm married, not soft in the head!"  
  
"C'mon you guys." Gordon shifted nervously. "It went all right."  
  
"And what if it didn't?" Scott burst out. "I'd have to come home and tell Marie that I made her a widow! How could I live with that?!"  
  
The silence that followed Scott's outburst was deep. Jeff and Marie were watching the four men as they digested the outburst.  
  
"I - I guess we need to talk." Virgil's shoulders slumped.  
  
"I think so too." Jeff said slowly. "I just assumed that things wouldn't change that much. I think I'm out of my depth. Marie?" He held out his hand to his son's wife. "Can you help us?"  
  
"Yes." She raised her chin slightly. "I'd be happy to - Jeff. Gentlemen. Get something to eat. Virgil you are dripping over everything and be back here in 20 minutes."  
  
"Yes ma'am." Gordon said cheekily and ducked out of Virgil's reach for the slap to the head.  
  
As she turned to leave Jeff put a hand on her arm. "That degree in psychology, wasn't it child psychology?"  
  
"Why yes." She blushed slightly.  
  
"Good. You'll need it."   
  



	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**  
  
Jeff Tracy rubbed his hands through his thick, but graying hair. It was a worrying time, though he tried to hide it from his sons. Tracy Industries was going well, well enough for rumors of a hostile takeover to be flying around the financial world. It was going to take a lot of wheeling and dealing to save his company, and it was going to take time. Time away from his family.  
  
With three of the boys out in the world it was easier and harder. Scott and Virgil had naturally followed in his footsteps and both were top notch fliers and in the astronaut program. John had gone more into astrophysics and astronomy, but had also joined his brothers in the Air Force. Soon, it would be Gordon's turn and then Alan.  
  
Then again, Jeff wasn't so sure about Gordon these days. People had been warning him for years about the perils of raising teen-age boys. Jeff had little or no trouble with Scott, Virgil, or John. Well, actually John had gone through a shaggy stage when he let his hair grow long and tried to grow a beard. The wispy blond hairs that grew sparsely on his face was such a disappointment that he gave up. John's hair when long also manifested a tendency to curl in waves that most women would kill to have, so that ended John's brief rebellion.  
  
Gordon was making up for his brothers. The sweet, enthusiastic young man who won a gold medal in the Olympics was replaced by a surly bear who complained loudly or sulked silently. Jeff supposed it had to do with hormones or something. Gordon's swimming coach had once said that Gordon had enough adrenaline to run a train. He was like one of those little wind up toys that bounced all over the table and then fell over exhausted. The night that Gordon had won his gold medal they had a family party. Gordon had fallen asleep in the middle of it and didn't even wake up when his father put him to bed. It was probably the last time Jeff would carry one of his boys or tuck them in. His back couldn't take it.  
  
If it was hormones then why wasn't he out dating pretty girls instead of hobnobbing with the likes of Judge Jones daughter. You'd think the daughter of a judge would be staid and steady, but she was anything but. She dressed like a bag lady and attracted trouble, along with his son, like a magnet. They were notorious at school for their pranks and practical jokes. Put them in the chem lab and a cloud of noxious smoke would clear out the school. Large objects like pianos and hen houses showed up on the roof of the gym. Chalk was fixed with sound generators to make a supersonic screech that caused every dog within a mile to howl in dismay, and gave the assistant principal chronic ulcers. Mind you she was polite enough when she came around and called him Mr.T which for some reason made Gordon and her break into giggles. It must have something to do with the old films the two were constantly watching.  
  
The loud slam of the front door heralded the entrance of the young man himself. There was no cheery voice or greeting. Just the thump of a backpack on the floor and then the unmistakable sound of the refrigerator door opening.   
  
Jeff grinned. Now that was something all his boys had in common. Good healthy appetites. He walked into the kitchen to see Gordon staring into the refrigerator. This was also typical. How many fridge light bulbs had burnt out in the last ten years? He couldn't remember. He waited for the typical line. Gordon didn't disappoint him.  
  
"There's nothing to eat."  
  
"Good afternoon, Gordon. Nice to see you home. There's plenty to eat. Make yourself a sandwich." Jeff said.  
  
Gordon bristled. Not home two minutes and Father has to start with the manners lecture. He was always telling him to do things.   
  
"Do you have much homework?"  
"Some." He had a pile. He shook the milk carton. There was only about an inch left in it, Alan had gotten home first. He put the carton to his lips to kill the last of the milk, it was the only humane thing to do."  
  
"Gordon! Use a glass!" Jeff said sternly.  
  
"There was only a little in the carton, I was going to throw it out." Gordon swiped at the milk decorating his upper lip.  
  
"You are not an uncivilized being. Use a glass." Jeff found himself lecturing and then stopped as his son turned a blank gaze on him. Gordon picked out a glass from the cupboard tipped the last few drops from the carton into it and drained it.  
  
"Better, sir?" The tone was acidic and fringing on the insolent.  
  
"You better get to your homework." Jeff sighed. This wasn't going well.  
  
"I'm going out tonight. Em and I are going to watch some movies at the Youth Center."  
  
"Gordon, I really wish..." Jeff began and then shut his mouth. "Don't be out too late."  
  
"Em's father doesn't bug her." Gordon muttered as he went up the stairs to his room. "Lucky Em."  
  
  
"Mummy? Dad? I'm home." Em put her backpack carefully on the hook in the kitchen. Dad went ballistic if the front of the house was less than pristine. She eyed the door to her Dad's office. It was closed, so that meant he was home, but didn't want to talk to anyone. Well, if she wanted to go out tonight that meant bearding the lion in his den. She tapped on the door and not waiting for an answer entered.  
  
"Dad."  
  
Her father was engrossed in a pile of papers on his desk. He gave her a brief glance and returned to them.  
  
"I'm going out tonight." she began, hoping some of this would get through to him. "Since Charlotte is here, she can be with Mummy."  
  
"Very well. Now, leave me alone. You know I'm busy."  
  
Em took a breath of relief when she closed the study door. That went well. Maybe having her sister Charlotte here would work out after all.   
  
She then went up the stair to the third floor where her mother was. She was greeted sourly by Miss Angel, the day nurse.  
  
"You're late."  
  
"No, Miss Angel. I'm not late. I'm on time."  
  
"Don't you get sassy with me _Maartha_." She smiled at the wince she got out of the teenager. She hated being called Martha and especially hated the whiny way that her family and the nurse used it. "Your father the judge can't afford to lose me. I could quit"  
  
"What and miss out on this cushy job, where you can sit and watch all your soaps and do as little as possible? I don't think so."   
  
"_Maarrtha?_ Is that you? Come and see what I've done today." Her mother's soft voice interrupted the usual argument.  
  
"You'll see someday!" Was Miss Angel's parting shot.  
  
"And I'll get you and your little dog too." Em mocked at her back, sounding like the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz.   
  
Martha Jones looked at her mother who sat in a fluffy dressing gown. The room was dark, as usual, the blinds almost closed and the drapes pulled to tightly. He mother had always been so beautiful. Until the accident 4 years ago. Her mother had been driving and had hit another car killing everyone. She herself had only a concussion, but later they had found that there had been brain damage. The sophisticated beautiful wife of successful Judge Malachi Jones became a bed-ridden nervous woman who had fits of depression, bought of mania, and an increasingly more and more difficult childish behavior.   
  
Em opened the curtains despite her mother's mews of protest. If only her father cared enough, maybe mummy wouldn't be so bad. As it was, despite the day nurse, most of her mother's care fell on to her shoulders. Something she was finding harder and harder to bear. Her father grudgingly sat with her mother on her nights out, few as they were. Em admired the fine piece of needlework that her mother was working on. Tomorrow her mother could tear it to shreds with her fingers or forget about it completely.   
  
Then there was Charlotte now, to contend with. Charlotte had been sent to stay with her aunt right after her mother had her first fit. Charlotte had become so hysterical that it was impossible for her to be at home, or so Dad had said. Now, she was brought back to help with her mother's care. Something Charlotte didn't want and she made that clear to her sister, though she had not dared to go against their father - yet.  
  
The atmosphere in the Jones house was dark and oppressing. She wished that she had a father like Gordon's. He at least was interested in his son's school work and talked to him. Lucky Gordo.  
  



	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**  
  
Gordon got out of his car and walked towards the front door of Jones' house. The front lawn was neatly mown and bushes trimmed. Yet, there was always an unkempt shabby air about the house. Sort of a neglected look. His finger hovered over the doorbell. Inside he could hear raised voices. It sounded like Em's impression of a scolding fishwife or the terrified scream of a wounded fieldmouse. The door was flung open in his face and he got an armful of Em. He stepped back from the charge his arms around her. The door was slammed behind them.  
  
"What was that all about?" Gordon asked as the girl reluctantly untangled herself.  
  
"Nothing important." his friend growled angrily. "Let's go."  
  
The Youth Centre was an old warehouse that the community and the youth themselves kept up. It was a popular place with pool tables, music rooms for listening or playing. It had a rickety stage that hosted a variety of enthusiastic plays. For Gordon and Em there was a room in the basement with an old style vid projector and a couch that was comfortable and shabby. They were sometimes joined by others, but since their taste in film was considered rather eccentric, they often had the room to themselves. Which suited them fine, as they liked to make their own comments and indulge in cat calls and hoots or just sighs of pleasure.  
  
Both were uncharacteristically silent at first. Just content to sit shoulder to shoulder, feet propped up on an old coffee table, and immerse themselves in the cardboard adventures of Tom Corbett, Space Cadet.  
  
"D'ya think your Dad would wear a suit like that?"  
  
"Well, he showed me the underwear once, it looked a lot like that, but with holes for..uh...plugs and things." Gordon confessed.  
  
"But he wouldn't wear it outside would he?" Em grinned.  
  
"Too drafty."  
  
The two snickered.  
  
In the space scenes they enjoyed yelling "String!" together when seeing the rocket held up with, of course, string.  
  
By the third action packed episode both were totally relaxed. Gordon had an arm comfortably around her shoulders with her head tucked underneath his chin. She always smelled like soap and some kind of flowers.   
  
They were watching the mad scientist in his lab threatening to blow up the universe, no less.  
  
"That reminds me." Gordon said, "What are you doing for your senior science project?"  
  
"Want to do some sort of aquarium type thingy. I promised the Principal not to do anything with explosives this year."  
  
"Yeah. I know he made me promise the same thing." Gordon replied.  
  
"I don't want you or Mr. Tracy leaving a legacy of the smoldering ashes of Eleanor Roosevelt High School for the following classes."Em intoned in a fair imitation of the Principal.  
  
"I am wounded to the heart." Gordon put his hand dramatically over his heart and sighed deeply. "No one else in our class was given that warning."  
  
"That's because no one in our class is as capable of burning down the school as you and I."  
  
"Amen sister. Oh look he was foiled in blowing up the universe...darn."  
  
"Can I come to your place and use your father's welding equipment? String!!"  
  
"You didn't see string."  
  
"Yes, I did. That's three for you and four for me. You're buying the sodas." She stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
"Yeah you can use it, but I gotta be there. Father doesn't let us use the welding equipment alone."  
  
"You won't reveal my secret plans? I might have to weld your lips shut." She reached up and pinched his lips together.  
  
"Muh lipth are thealed. Thring!" He sputtered on her hand.  
  
"Ewww Gordo, that is gross."  
  
"So is pinching my lipth, tho...four four."  
  
On the drive back home, Gordon noticed that Em seemed to get more tense. He knew that her home life was not easy, but she would on occasion confide in him.  
  
"Problems?"  
  
"Yeah. My little sister is home. I thought it would be great, but it's like we are from different worlds or planets even."  
  
"Well, related to you she could be half Martian. Is she green or have antennae?"  
  
"No, but...oh I'm not sure what is going on, but I don't think this year is going to be easy."  
  
"Anything I can do?" He took a quick look at her. Em didn't unravel easy. There was that time with the short fuse on the firecracker, she saved him the loss of a finger or two on that one.  
  
"Look. Can we meet at the library after school? I want to run a few things past you."  
  
"Sure thing. We'll work it out. After all what are the worries of mere high school senior to Flash Gordon and Indiana Jones!"  
  
The use of their 'adventurer' names brought the laugh he expected from his friend. Gordon and Martha were too mundane as names for the likes of the duo that brought live chickens into the cafeteria, bugged the teacher's lounge, and water bombed a police cruiser. Some day they would be heroes, just like their namesakes.  
  
When they got to Em's house, Gordon got out of the car, too.  
  
"Hey, you don't have to walk me in. I haven't been attacked by werewolves for the past two weeks."She teased him.  
  
"My father has been grilling me about civilized manners. A guy walks the girl to the door, says hello to her father and then gets eaten by the werewolves just as he gets back to his car."  
  
"You're such a gentleman." The sarcasm dripped off her lips.  
  
The door was flung open before Em could put the key in the lock.  
  
"There you are. She has been impossible. He isn't home yet, either." The young girl's voice was tight with emotion.  
  
The light from inside the house backlit her causing the red hair to shine like a bright halo. She turned her head and Gordon felt his stomach lurch. It was the beautiful girl from the first day of school.  
  
"Now Charly..." Em began wearily.  
  
"That's Charlotte." She reminded her older sister and eyed Gordon critically. He felt like a bowl of three week old leftovers.  
  
"This is my friend Gordon, Gordon Tracy. I better go see how Mummy is." Em went up the stairs, knowing that Gordon could find his way out. They didn't stand on ceremony.  
  
"Hi. Um, ah, you must be Charlotte." Gordon grinned foolishly. "Ah, Em's sister."  
  
"Yes. Oh look, my - father - is home."There was a noticeable pause when she mentioned the word, 'father'.  
  
Judge Jones had a dour face, very suitable for a judge, but rather creepy as a person and especially as a father. Gordon may have a few problems with his father, but at least Jeff Tracy smiled and joked with his family. When Judge Jones smiled it was like a shark attack.  
  
"Ah young Tracy." He smiled and Gordon could feel the theme song from 'Jaws' playing in his brain. "How is your father? I hear his company may be taken over. What a shame to lose all that money. You boys will have to get jobs."  
  
"I doubt that things are that far, sir." Gordon was more interested in the younger Miss Jones than the barbed remarks of her father. She seemed to soften her look and smiled at him. His heart began to do double time.  
  
"Tracy Industries? I've read about them in the Financial Times. I don't think you have to start mowing lawns just yet." Charlotte's eyes didn't seem as deep a blue as he remembered, but they were still rivetting.  
  
"I saw you at school." Great pick up line of the century, Gordon kicked himself.  
  
"And you'll see her there tomorrow. Good night young man." Judge Jones indicated the door politely, but firmly.  
  
"Yes, I'll see you tomorrow." Her voice was husky with promise.  
  
"Yeah, uh sure. Tomorrow." He wasn't sure how he got home, his brain was in such a fog. What a beauty! And good old Em's little sister of all things. Life was looking up!  
  



	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**  
  
Scott lowered himself gingerly onto the deck chair by the pool. He'd gotten away with only bruises on that last rescue, but they were still painful. Alan had the worst of it, being knocked unconscious. Granny, Father, and Tin Tin were off to the mainland to bring him home after a two day stay in the hospital. Marie had joined them for that female sport known as 'shopping'. That left Scott, Virgil, Gordon and Kyrano on their own for the day.   
  
Virgil and Gordon were already by the pool. Virgil was reading a book and Gordon was snoring gently.   
  
Virgil's slight grin probably didn't have anything to do with the book he was reading, as it seemed to be a jet fighter manual. Scott had never seen Virgil so happy, so rested, so everything. Virgil hadn't even turned a hair at the rescue scene when one of the search and rescue dogs used Thunderbird 2 as a 'relieving post'. He had just laughed. It seemed strange, and almost surreal how one woman had made such a difference in his brother. She was making a difference in all of their lives. Something he hadn't thought about. It made him wonder...  
  
"What's it like?" Scott heard himself say out loud.  
  
"Hmmphff?" Virgil directed his gaze towards his brother. "What?"  
  
"What's it like, being married?"  
  
"It's a sad day when you have to tell your older brother about the facts of life. You see son, men and women are different."  
  
"Oh stuff it." Scott indulged in a small sulk.  
  
"Seriously?" Virgil ventured lowering his book.  
  
"Yeah, seriously." Scott admitted.  
  
"I'm not sure if I can give you a good answer. It's like my whole life has changed, everything is different."  
  
"Color are brighter. Birds sing louder?" Scott said sweetly.  
  
"Huh!" Virgil snorted. "I wish. That's for love songs. It's like learning to ride a bike. You fall over a lot and get discouraged, but there is someone there to pick you up and put you back on. I figure I'll get the hang of it someday. You better ask me in a few years what it is like being married."  
  
Gordon's fingers twitched involuntarily. He hoped his brothers didn't know he was awake.  
  
"I gotta wait that long for a decent answer?" Scott chided his brother with a wry grin.  
  
"You could try it for yourself. I recommend it highly." Virgil grinned evilly.  
  
"Yeah. Right. You got lucky. I can't see myself doing a good job if I was hitched." Scott said and then hastily added as his brother sat up to stare at him." I mean me, you seem to do fine..." His voice trailed off.  
  
The three men were silently tense for a moment. Scott waited for the blow-up and was surprised when Virgil settled back into his deck chair.  
  
"It's harder." Virgil said softly. "I know that I could get hurt or killed and that would also hurt Marie terribly. But it's also easier because I know she's waiting for me. She's gives me her strength. I know she's here for me. That's something I didn't expect."  
  
Gordon squeezed his eyes shut. He had gotten over it, long time ago. So, why did he feel so wretched? He tightened his muscles in resolve.  
  
"I never thought..." Scott shook his head. "Sorry about the crack, bro."  
  
"I tell you though." Virgil said. "If you find someone, don't let them go. No matter what. "  
  
To the older men's surprise Gordon shot off his deck chair like a rocket and took off towards the house.  
  
"Oh boy." Scott breathed. "That sure set him off."  
  
"I wish he'd talk to us." Virgil mourned. "Maybe Johnny can get him to open up. They've always been close."  
  
"John won't be back for a week, yet." Scott winced as he moved injudiciously. "I'd hate to ground Gordon, maybe Marie could talk to him?"   
  
"You trust her?" Virgil looked amazed. Scott had been pretty quiet during their debriefing these days since Marie took them over.  
  
"She trusts me to bring you back home to her. I think I should trust her in return." Scott averred.  
  
"She asked you that?" Virgil said amazed.  
  
"Yeah. And I promised, so don't screw it up." Scott closed his eyes in embarrassment.   
  
"I'm not the one all stoved up with bruises and scrapes." Virgil reminded him. "But thanks."  
  
Gordon sat on his bed with his hands knotted together. He hadn't bothered with the curtains this morning and the only light in the dim room came from the big aquarium that took up the whole wall. His hands looked a ghastly shade of gray green in the uncertain light. The aquarium. That was when things started going really wrong. That was when he lost Em.  



	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six  
  
The last years spent apart had made them appear different, but deep down inside, Charlotte and Martha Jones were still the Jones sisters. They were alike in many ways that would perhaps surprise them. They both were of above average intelligence. They both had a gift of perseverance or as others might see it, stubbornness. Their father had instilled in them a gift for speaking and a rare insight into the minds of others. Their mother had passed on to them a drive to succeed and features that while not beautiful were pleasing. Their grace had been assured by years of dance lessons. It had been their mother's joy to dress them identically as children and they had been often mistaken for twins and certainly were recognized as sisters. In their early teens, however each girl went her own way with her looks, make-up, and dress as if denying any sibling connection.. They were both determined to achieve their goals, and not afraid to bend their talents and wills towards those goals.   
  
Judge Jones, had he bothered to look in on his daughters that evening would have been pleased to see both girls working diligently on their computers. Stacks of papers and books attested to scholarship in progress. Only Martha was doing homework. Charlotte had something grander and more dangerous on her mind.   
  
Gordon paused at the door to his father's workroom. Jeff was on the phone and from the look of concentration on his face, it must be a business call. His father, however, looked up to give the young man a quick smile and a wave to come in. Gordon tapped his books to indicate his own kind of business and went up to his room. Alan was spread out gracelessly on his bed in his room, nose buried in a biology textbook.  
  
"It's just me kid. Dad's on the phone." Gordon grinned at his brother who abandoned the schoolbook and fished a motorcar magazine out from under his pillow.  
  
Gordon contemplated initiating a wrestling match with his brother, but with a sigh decided not to. Not that Alan was in his league, but the kid had gotten a few more muscles than last year and tended to be a slippery customer. He had to be as the youngest of five brothers.  
  
Gordon sat down at his desk and pulled open the drawer to pull out a thick white envelope. He tapped it thoughtfully on his hand. In it was an application to the Naval Academy. A similar envelope with another embossed seal on it sat propped up in front of his computer. The application to Air Force Academy. Didn't need to do more than sign it and toss it into the mail. The name of Tracy and flying opened doors automatically. Not only his father, but nowadays the reputations of his three older brothers were weighty.   
  
The only problem with the Air Force is that he didn't want to go. He wanted the sea. He wanted the deep blues and azures of the depths, not the bright blue of the sky. No one asked him what he wanted. It was just assumed. Explained that this was what Tracys do. Expected of him. Gordon gritted his teeth. Forced on him.  
  
The Air Force Academy form was chucked in his desk and he pulled the papers from the other envelope and with the guilty pleasure of going against his father started to meticulously fill in the form.   
  
In his workroom, Jeff Tracy hung up the phone thankfully. One of the trials of having business in the Far East meant phone calls at odd hours. He rubbed his ear automatically while stretching and popping cramped back muscles. He looked at his watch and sighed, 11:30, well so much for an early night. He had at least an hours more paperwork that the call had generated, maybe even two. He picked up his pen and then paused. It was a school night and much as he hated reminding teenagers about their need for sleep (especially since he was going without it), he should go and see if they were at least pointed in the right direction. He missed having the older boys around. Scott was so efficient about taking care of his brothers that he had not noticed it until he had left to go to the Academy. Then Virgil and John just stepped into their oldest brother's shoes leaving Jeff more time to handle his business. He spent as much time as he could with his boys, but sometimes it wasn't always possible. Jeff sometimes envied Scott's skill with the two youngest. However, Jeff didn't think his idea of discipline was giving the young boys wedgies or wrestling them to the ground to be tickled unmercilessly.   
  
Alan was already hunched in his bed, blanket up around his ears and one bare foot hanging out over the side of the bed. Peeping out from under the bed was a motorcar magazine featuring a sleek looking car with an even sleeker looking blonde woman in a bikini posing with it. Thank God Alan was more interested in the car than the scantily clad woman. He turned off the light and got a muttered grunt that he translated as his youngest son's goodnight.  
  
"Goodnight Alan." He replied.  
  
Gordon was still up sitting at his desk writing. Surprisingly enough his room was relatively neat. When sharing a room with John or Alan, Gordon's part of the room always looked like it was the site of a tornado aftermath. Now, when it was all his own space he kept it neat. Not clean, but recognizable as a bedroom.   
  
"Gordon..." Jeff spoke warily. He was never sure how Gordon was going to react at any time. "It is getting late."  
  
Gordon looked up with a start, how did his father creep up on him. Did he know what he was doing. Did the old man read their minds? Virgil had him convinced that he did, not realizing that Jeff knew a guilty look when he saw one.  
  
Gordon took a deep breath, maybe this was his chance. "It's my application for the Academy." He meant Naval Academy to him it was 'the Academy'.  
  
He was rewarded with a large smile on his father's face. The same kind of smile he bestowed upon his son when he got his gold medal.  
  
"Good for you son!" Jeff felt pride overflow in his heart. He knew that the boy would love flying as much as he or his brothers did. "I'll be so proud to pin your wings on you, just like I did for your brothers."  
  
Gordon swallowed. His father wasn't listening to him. "Father, about the Air Force..."  
  
"Don't worry son, I'm sure your brothers can tell you the lowdown on how to survive your first year. Not easy, mind you, but we Tracy men do well. Well, don't stay up too late." Jeff went to hug his son in a rare burst of physical affection, but Gordon ducked past it to put his hand over the papers.  
  
Jeff felt confused. Well, Gordon was just probably nervous about the whole application. Not that it was a real problem. Luckily, the boy had his senior year to settle down and stop being so jumpy.  
  
"Good night, Gordon." Jeff turned at the doorway as he left.  
  
"G'night." The reply was as inaudible and as grunted as Alan's. Teenagers.  
  
Gordon thumped his head on his desk a few times accompanied by a few choice words that would earn his mouth washed out with soap if Grandma ever heard them. He looked at his watch, it was too late to call Em, but he would see her tomorrow in the library. Maybe her gorgeous sister would be there, too.   
  



	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
Gordon grimaced as he helped his brother heft and lift the stretcher into the waiting rescue helo. This hadn't been a hard rescue, but it had taken time and the weather conditions were foul. He hunched his shoulders as a stream of cold water made its way down the collar of his uniform and down his neck and back. He loved water, but not inside his clothes. Everybody looked just as bad as he felt. They looked like a hair plastered rock band of the 1960's or was a grunge band of the 1980's?   
  
Flash floods had ripped through a motocross rally site, dispersing some 300 participants and their crews and unfortunately a record breaking crowd of 1000 campers and Rovers. Now, he also knew why they referred to the sport as off road, the location was so far off the beaten track that only flying rescue equipment could be brought in. Thunderbird 2 was back up the road about 10 miles hauling some heavy fire engines and ambulances out of a morass of mud. None of them were going to look very pretty at the end of this rescue mission.  
Most of their rescues were relatively short. Come in flying with the heavy equipment, do the razzle dazzle and leave the foot slogging to the regular rescue workers and crew. Gordon's respect for the rest of the mud spattered rescuers rose a notch, no make that ten notches.   
  
Scott was doing his usual smooth job of co-ordinating the rescue operation, but Gordon was secretly pleased to see his so correct always right brother standing covered liberally in the same muck as everyone else. Scott was talking earnestly with the young Red Cross First Aid Chief who had held the scene together until they had arrived. The guy couldn't be much older than himself, yet he and his crew of eleven volunteers had kept their heads and started setting up triage and information centers as well as commandeering all communications. The group had been smart enough to sandbag the generator first - preserving power for heat and light two things absolutely necessary in the miserable conditions.  
  
Letting his attention wander a bit caused him to loose his footing and slip to one knee in the slippery mud. He flung out a hand to catch himself which caused him to be more covered in the goo.  
  
"Yo, Gordy pay attention." John reminded him but extended a hand to help him up. "And don't even think about it." He warned his little brother seeing the flash in his eyes.   
  
"I wouldn't pull you down too." Gordon grumped standing up and feeling more than water dripping inside his clothes now. "I wouldn't wish this on anyone."  
  
John just merely rolled his eyes. "Yeah right, and pigs fly."  
  
Scott and young Stuart Christopher, the Red Cross Chief, had their heads together over papers that they shielded with their bodies to keep the rain dripping down on them.  
  
"I figure we are missing about 30 people, mostly families from this area here, uh sir." Stuart blushed a little.  
  
"How do you know it's families?" Scott treated him like he would Alan or Gordon, shoot he wasn't much older than his little brothers.  
  
"They usually like to be in that area, away from the all night party crowd. I didn't have a foot patrol in that area because we never expect any action uh trouble uh stuff to happen there."   
  
"Makes sense." Scott agreed.  
  
"Thank God." the young man breathed. "I mean I wasn't sure if I was doing things right."  
  
"You're doing a great job." Scott patted him on the back splashing water more. He punched in the link to Thunderbird 2. "Control to Thunderbird 2. How are things going?"  
  
"I got the heavy equipment rescued. I am bringing in some more volunteers and supplies."  
  
"Great. I'll need you to do a search sweep of the northeast quadrant ...we are missing about 30 people from that area. And Virg...it's families."   
  
The silence from Thunderbird 2 spoke louder and more vehemently than any swear word or heated comment.   
  
"Roger that Thunderbird 1." Virgil calmly replied. "Oh and we got something better than instruments. We got a duck!"  
  
  



	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
The Tracy family always got together for Thanksgiving. With three men in the service, this was a tricky deal, but not impossible. When it came to business Jeff would rather lose a contract than miss Thanksgiving with his family. It might have something to do with the wonderful food that Grandma produced year after year. The kitchen was an Aladdin's cave of good things to eat. Pies of every description, candied fruits, nuts, cookies, and a massive turkey slowly cooking in the oven set the stage for this important family gathering.  
  
Alan and Gordon were overjoyed to see their older brothers again and endured the noogies and teasing remarks happily. Scott's captain's bars were admired as well as a new medal that Virgil sported.   
  
"I got it for brushing my teeth after every meal." He flashed a white toothed grin at his family. He wasn't too ready to talk about the harrowing experience that nearly cost people's lives.  
  
John had brought home a pile of galley sheets for his new book, "Listening to Space" and promised his brothers autographed copies when it came out at Christmas.   
  
Jeff felt as if a heavy burden had been taken off his shoulders. His boys were home, safe and sound. Their family was together.  
  
***  
  
In the Jones household, everyone attended Thanksgiving. The dinner was provided by a catering firm who delivered the perfectly beautiful dinner for four to the family a few hours before they were expected to sit at the table. This year they had Cornish Game Hens which yielded no pleasure in the eating as the girls were not allowed to eat with their fingers. The table was beautifully set with crystal and napkins and silver. No one smiled except for Mrs. Jones who chatted airily about the weather and family long dead or imagined.  
  
Judge Jones, playing the family patriarch, interviewed his daughters closely about their lives over the past fall.   
  
Em and Charlotte rolled eyes at one another, at least in complete agreement for once, that the sooner this was over the better.  
  
"I feel like he's getting ready to pass judgment." Charlotte whispered to Em.  
  
"Yeah, with a sentence to match. No parole." Em whispered back and managed to look innocent when her father glared at her.  
  
"I have very good news for you all." The judge announced portentously. "I have been asked to run as a candidate for the State's Attorney. It will mean a great deal of prestige for the name of Jones. I'm sure you will all do your part to support me in this." He fixed a stare at his oldest daughter. "No scandals or breath of wrong doing can be connected with me."  
  
"Yes, Daddy." Em said meekly. This year hadn't left much time for high jinx and her favorite partner in crime had gone completely bonkers and was dating her little sister.  
  
"Charlotte?" Her father looked at her sternly.  
  
"Yes, Daddy. I intend to be good." Charlotte looked at her unappetizing dinner. "For me. I'll do what is good for me. "She added in her mind and smiled brightly.  
  
***  
  
"So, I hear you got yourself a girl friend." Virgil mentioned at the table as he passed the large bowl of mashed potatoes around the table for a third round. He grinned at Gordon.  
  
"Yeah, well, yeah." Gordon blushed and shoveled a forkful of stuffing into his mouth.  
  
"Em's little sister." Alan added helpfully. He had already given his older brothers the vital details on Gordon's latest girl friend. Matter of fact he told everything he could remember about her. Including the fact that he didn't see what Gordon saw in the girl as she was a stuck up sophomore, not worthy of a junior's attention, much less a senior's. Em was much nicer in his opinion. "Passed the candied yams, please"  
  
"That's your second helping." John reminded him.   
  
"Third. Are we keeping score this year?" Alan asked innocently digging into the dish.  
  
"No. You are not." His grandmother interrupted firmly. "A good healthy appetite is one thing. I'm not sitting up with you boys another Thanksgiving with acute gastritis." she shook a finger at the young men.  
  
"Now, mother. It is your cooking. We can't help it, if it is so good. So, when's dessert?" Jeff grinned and the grin was echoed by five more identical Tracy grins.  
  
  



	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
"So Virgil says over the radio. 'We got something better than instruments. We got a duck."  
Scott laughed.  
  
"I said we gotta a DOG. Specially trained search and rescue dog. Not duck." Virgil tried to look serious, but spoiled it with a snicker. "Though in that weather a duck would have been useful."  
  
The post rescue unwinding was swinging along nicely. After several hours of scraping mud off themselves and equipment and a lively but rewarding debriefing with Marie everyone was settled in the lounge with hot drinks.   
  
"That dog was something else though." John said admiringly. "Ugliest dog I've ever seen, but it was sure quick and smart.   
  
"I tell you father, it was amazing. The dog went over that mudslide with the rescue rope almost without getting a paw muddy." Scott enthused. "It would have taken us ten minutes to get a line over otherwise. And then it would have been too late."  
  
"Maybe we should think about having a dog for rescues." John said slowly.   
  
"We haven't had a dog since we were kids." Virgil said slightly wistfully. "But," He continued on a slightly drier note. "If I see that dog lift a leg one more time on my ship its going to taking a one way trip to the pound at the end of my boot."  
  
"What kind of dog was it? Your dog, I mean." Marie asked.  
  
"Cocker spaniel." Jeff added. "A very lovable dog."  
  
"Got run over." Scott said dryly. "Dumb dog."  
  
"Dzenita says that it took two years to train Handy." John said quietly, changing the subject. The spaniel had been Scott's dog.  
  
"Who are Handy and Dzenita?" Gordon asked.  
  
John rubbed the side of his nose and stared out the window, a sure sign of him avoiding the issue.  
  
His family knew enough by now to wait out the silence and that John would cough up the information eventually.  
  
"Handy's the dog, Dzenita is his owner and trainer. He's pretty smart."  
  
"Is she pretty?" Marie asked.  
  
John shrugged. "Hard to tell under all the mud we were plastered with. She was nice."  
  
"I saw you talking to her after the rescue. Were you asking about the dog?" Virgil asked.  
  
"Yeah. And I asked her out for a date." John smiled slightly. His family couldn't have been more astounded than if he had cocked a leg on Thunderbird 2 himself.  
  
Scott beat his father's comments of outrage by a few milliseconds.  
  
"John!" His brother protested putting his cup of hot cocoa on the end table with a bang. "Security..."  
  
"Son. I don't think...!" Jeff added in his sternest voice.  
  
"That's the beauty of it Father. She already knows I'm with International Rescue, she doesn't know who I am otherwise." He paused, "I said I'd take her out." he finished with a quiet firmness that meant he wasn't going to be budged. "And I will."  
  
"Oh good for you honey." Grandma enthused. "You be sure and take her somewhere nice. Wear a tie."  
  
"I don't like this John." Jeff grumped. "The risk to security for International rescue is not to be taken lightly. I can't stop you men from your romances." Jeff eyed his second oldest son who pulled his wife a fraction tighter to him.  
  
"Darn right you can't!" Marie added brightly.  
  
"No more risky than John Tracy dating someone." John rubbed the side of his nose again. "Like I said, she's a nice person." He added a little defensively. "I meet more nice people as a member of International Rescue than I do as a son of billionaire Jeff Tracy."  
  
"What she going to call you? Hey you?" Gordon said with a bitter snarl that almost went unnoticed.  
  
"They gave us nicknames." John said quietly. "Didn't you know that?"  
  
"Huh? What's that about?" Virgil had been nuzzling his wife's ear and whispering promises, but came up for air and a question.  
  
"I've heard the gossip too! Seems our rescue colleagues have given us nicknames." Scott grinned, "I'm Ace."   
  
A silence fell on the company.  
  
"Drop the other shoe Scott. Tell us our names." Virgil finally prodded.  
  
"Oh, you aren't interested. Is there anything on the vid tonight?" Scott yawned widely.  
  
A barrage of pillows and one cookie was thrown at him.  
  
"Okay, okay. Virgil is Deuce." Scott took a bite of the cookie after picking off a piece of fluff.  
  
Virgil put up two fingers in a victory sign. "Yeah, Deuce!" He cheered.  
  
"John is...I'm sorry but there must be a lot of women involved with this one...Apollo."  
  
"Cool. I like that. God of the sun." John beamed.  
  
"Alan is Jack. Jack of Hearts."  
  
"Oh Tin Tin will love that." Marie muttered.  
  
"And Gordon. Well a fitting name for our redhead. He's Joker."  
  
"Gee thanks. Who thinks up these names? Teenagers?" Gordon growled.  
  
"They could have called you 'Flash'." Jeff chuckled remembering that his son used to be called that by his friends.  
  
"Only Em called me Flash." Gordon muttered.  
  
  
  
  



	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
  
The workshop was a doityourselfer's dream. Every tool imaginable and a few that described description festooned walls and work benches. Most of the space was taken up by Alan's latest project - a sleek looking sports car or at least the beginnings of one. Em hefted the big heavy bag of her bits and pieces on one of the benches.  
  
"Where do you want this?" Gordon had gallantly carried in the old television for her. "What antique store did you get this thing out of? It weighs a ton."   
  
"It was my grandma's can ya believe it?" The two looked at the old fashioned 32 inch screen that had to be at least 10 inches thick - a far cry from today's ultra thin all wall models.  
  
"Vacuum tubes?" Gordon teased tentatively. Things had been stilted between them since he started dating Charlotte seriously.   
  
"Not quite." Silence of the uncomfortable sort fell between them.   
  
"Um Em, I've been meaning..." Gordon fumbled for some kind of apology. He wasn't sure for what but something.  
  
He was interrupted by the timely, or untimely presence of Alan bouncing into the room.  
  
"Hey Em!" he said brightly. Alan liked Em.  
  
"Yo. Big Al!" High five's were exchanged. That was one of the reasons Alan liked Em, no one else called him Big Al...he was always the kid, the baby to his family. Em always treated him like an equal.  
  
"Hey neat stuff. What are you guys going to blow up?" Alan picked up a piece of fiber optic cable and began to chew on it.  
  
"Don't they feed you around here?" Em said patiently and pulled the cable from his mouth. "This is going to be my senior science project."  
  
"So, like I asked. What are you going to blow up?" Alan teased.  
  
"This is going to be an aquarium entertainment center. You put fish into it like a real fish tank and they swim around and do fish stuff which is pretty dull. Right?"   
  
"Just as lively as watching your clothes in the dryer." Gordon added. Em hadn't really told him her plans, and this was going to be interesting. She always had a fiendish twist to her projects.  
  
"So, I had a little fiber optic cables here and there and a simple computer program that adds a few more fish to the tank..." she paused for effect and lowered her voice to a sinister whisper. "maybe some sharks, divers, submarines, mermaids."  
  
"Neat! Add a sea monster!" Alan enthused.  
  
"For you Alan, a rusting Volvo 2010 on the ocean floor with the radio on full blast."  
  
"Sounds great!" Gordon enthused. "Let's get cracking!"  
  
"You gonna be long? I got to tune the pipes." Alan looked at the pile of scrap on the bench.   
  
"Couple of hours?" Gordon looked over at Em. He had been promising the use of the workshop and the welding equipment for over a month now. Something always seemed to get in the way of their conflicting schedules. Either he had a date with Charlotte, or Em had to stay home with her mother, or just the heavy senior class workload got in the way.   
  
"Uh depends on how well the welding goes. I did most of the little soldering jobs at home." Em grinned at Alan, "Tuning pipes huh? Would that be bagpipes?"   
  
Alan laughed. "Not quite. I leave the music stuff to Virgil and Gordon..."  
  
"Gordon?" Em raised a brow. "He isn't musical."  
  
"Ah he's a bathroom tenor. You should hear the stuff he's been caterwauling..."   
  
"Alan..." Gordon began warningly.  
  
"Looo-ooove of my life..." Alan began to sing off key. "Yooouuuu..." His voice trailed off as Gordon chased his little brother out of the room.   
  
"Little brothers..." Gordon huffed as he turned back to Em. She already was putting things into place on the work bench. The back of the old television was taken off and she was rooting around with bolt cutters. "Uh what do you want me to do?"  
  
"You can set up the welder. I'll be doing a slow weld, so it doesn't need to be at it's hottest. You just do that. After all it's my project. Don't need your help." The last sentence was muttered. Gordon singing love songs in the shower...that was a bad sign. Charlotte had been looking pretty pleased with herself lately. If her father hadn't made Charlie stay with Mom tonight she would have had to cancel this welding session - again.   
  
Em was fairly competent as a welder, it was only Mr. Tracy rules that made it impossible to do the work without Gordon there.   
  
"Hey Em." Gordon began. This was the perfect opportunity to talk to his friend. He missed having her confidence. The thing with the Naval Academy was going to come to head soon. He'd need as much backup as he could get.  
  
"I sent off my application to the Naval Academy last October. I should be getting an answer soon."  
  
"You told your father?" Em adjusted the heavy welding glasses over her eyes.  
  
Gordon sighed. How well she knew him. "No. Not yet."   
  
"What are you waiting for Flash? The earth to swallow you up first? Buck Rogers to come and save your butt?"   
  
Gordon flinched from the sarcastic tone. Em could have been a bit more sympathetic. Charlotte certainly was more than supportive, but she herself admitted to having logic clouded by feelings. Feelings for him.  
  
"You want advice. Tell your father. The more you put it off, the worse it gets." She turned away from him and got on with the job at hand.  
  
"Gee thanks." He said flatly. Charlotte had squealed with delight when he'd told her his plans and then listened with rapt attention as he explained his problems. She had even cried on his shoulder, making him feel responsible and determined and adult.  
  
Em bit her lip in concentration. Poor Gordie, she knew just how he felt. Dad was dropping broad hints about her going to the local college, but she had her sights on one of the best engineering schools in the country. This project, if she ever got it finished, was well worth an A and a great boost to her grade average.  
  
She and Gordon had barely gotten back on speaking terms after she had told him off about dating Charlotte. She was so totally bad for Gordon, but all he could see was her pretty ways and superficial manners. Manners that certainly disappeared with her older sister. Em had even caught her sister rooting around in her room. The excuse of looking for a shirt to borrow was ridiculous and they both knew it. Why couldn't she have someone like Alan for a younger sibling? He was a little dippy and car mad, but decent for a kid.  
  
She turned to her friend. He'd always be her friend even if was making a big mistake. "Look, Flash, if you want I'll be with you when..." her peace offering was interrupted by the dulcet tones coming from Gordon's cell phone. It was the same tune that Alan had said Gordon sang in the shower.  
  
"Hi!" His face lit up like a thousand watts and then fell just as suddenly into a serious mode.  
  
"Hey what's the matter?" He listened attentively for a few minutes and stared almost sightlessly at Em. "Ah yeah, I can come for a few minutes. I'll be there soon."  
  
He closed the phone and looked at Em as if seeing her for the first time.  
  
"Ah look, I gotta go and see someone. I'll be back real quick." He shifted nervously from one foot to the other. Crossing the rules in the Tracy household was just as easy as putting your head in the lions mouth, only the lion was his father. But, Charlotte sounded desperate...  
  
"Gordon...I have to get this work done." Em heard the whine in her own voice and frowned, she sounded just like Charlotte trying to weasel out of responsibility.  
  
"Alan is home and you know what you're doing." Gordon sounded a bit cross.  
  
"Yes I do. Oh go on." Em returned just as crossly. "I told you I didn't need any help."  
  
His face softened and he kissed her quickly on the cheek. "Thanks, you're a pal." He left quickly.  
  
Em touched her cheek thoughtfully. "Yeah a pal." she whispered.  
  
Gordon drove a little faster than was smart. So, it was no surprise that the cop was less than sympathetic about his garbled story of a crying girlfriend and his other girl left alone with power tools.  
  
"You get a ticket anyway, Bub. And try to sort out your love life huh?" The policeman shook his head. He'd seen too many accidents that were only the product of teenage angst. If a hefty fine would help towards cooling the redhead down to drive safely it was worth it.  
  
Charlotte peered out of the curtains nervously. Timing was everything in this her latest coup, and Gordon was late. Or maybe she had overplayed her hand? She had managed to sabotage her sister's attempts to be with Gordon over the last few months, and now she was ready to sever the ties even further.   
  
She had picked out a particularly horrifying incident from Martha's diary concerning her mother and set out to duplicate it. Their mother had gotten her hands on some big scissors and decided that Martha's hair was too long. Martha had been too frightened to move or cross her mother while she was wielding the shears. In no time, hair as abundant and as beautiful as Charlotte's was now was chopped to bits. Nowadays, her mother was merely content with snipping at her sister's hair with little blunt thread cutters. No wonder her hair was always a mess. However, she wasn't willing to go so far as what happened to her sister. The big scissors had been put into her happy mother's hands and she wasted no time cutting up everything in sight. Charlotte regrettably and carefully cut off a few of her curly locks, mourning the loss of a perfect hairdo, but sacrifices had to be made. She heard Gordon's car pull up in front of the house and with a determined look on her face turned on the waterworks.  
  



	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
  
  
Em swore under her breath for about the tenth time the last hour. She was doing a tricky part of the weld and could have used a third hand. As it was, the piece was bolted into C-clamp and propped between two blocks of wood. But just as she got it hot it would begin to loosen and slip. Soon there would be nothing more than a puddle of molten metal. Gordon had dissappeared and not come back. Alan had also vanished. In exasperation she took off her heavy work gloves so to work quicker. The seam began to take shape smoothly and looked good when the whole thing just slipped. Her hand holding the torch followed the movement and the other reached out instinctively to grab the article.  
  
She stopped breathing. She sucked in air with a moan and let it out in an awful scream.   
  
Jeff had come home early, for once, only to find the house empty and the boy's cars gone. He was rooting through the fridge and wondering if there was anything to eat when he heard the blood curdling scream coming from the garage workshop.   
  
He was there in seconds. He noticed the welding torch sputtering near the work bench and someone hunched over nearby. The screams were punctuated by sobs of pain. He turned off the torch preventing anymore burning as the bench leg was already smoldering.   
  
It was Martha Jones. She was hugging her arm to her body and rocking with pain. It had to be a burn. He was afraid it was a bad burn.  
  
"Martha. Let me see." He tried to get her to stand up, but she was hysterical with pain. He managed to get her over to the sink and forced both her arms into running cold water. He could soon see that the burn was serious. Luckily, over a relatively small area running over the side of the wrist to the back of her right hand. But the pain from burns could be ferocious and the girl was in as much danger from shock as from the burn itself. Jeff could already feel the tremors that were beginning to shake her body.   
  
"Gordon!" he yelled. The boy must be here somewhere.. "He's not here, is he?"  
  
She was shaking her head.  
  
"Okay. I'm taking you to the hospital."  
  
By the time they drove to the hospital Em was reduced to sniffles and surpressed whimpers. They immediately hit a snag. Martha Jones was underaged and Jeff Tracy wasn't her father.   
  
"Can't you give her something for the pain?"Jeff tried to sound reasonable.  
  
"I'm sorry." The duty nurse looked hassled but sympathetic. "We are not allowed any treatment of minors without the signed waiver of their parents."  
  
"Where is your father?" Jeff knelt in front of the seated young woman.  
  
"He's at the Le Grande Hotel at a meeting. He said it was important..." Her voice faded as Jeff Tracy marched to the nearest vidcom began the difficult task of getting her father to the hospital.  
  
At first, the hotel declined to put a call through to the meeting which was attended by some rather high-ups in the city's political scheme. But, Jeff Tracy didn't get to be an astronaut or a high-powered businessman by giving up easily.   
  
By the time Judge Jones was on the line Jeff Tracy was pretty angry. Before the end of this long evening he'd be coldly furious.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?" The judge's image on the vidcom radiated stern authority. Jeff radiated back.   
  
"Your daughter Martha is here at the hospital. You have to come here."  
  
"Is it serious?"  
  
"It is a bad burn, but not too serious." Jeff began to explain.  
  
"I'll send her to my GP in the morning. Put her in a taxi home. I'll reimburse you." Judge Jones looked markedly at his watch.  
  
"Your daughter is in considerable pain and in shock. If she is not treated now she could become worse."  
  
"And this is your considered opinion as a businessman?" Judge Jones said tersely.   
  
"Judge Jones..." Jeff Tracy began "If you don't get down here in 10 minutes I'll personally see that you are brought up on charges of endangerment of a minor. Do I make myself clear?"   
  
"Perfectly. I'll be there shortly."   
  
It was almost a tie on which man was able to hang up the fastest on the other. Jeff Tracy won by a fraction of a second.  
  
Em was moaning softly as Jeff sat back down next to her. He patted her awkwardly on the back. "It'll be alright. Your father will be here soon."  
  
"You shouldn't b-bother. I'll be alright. Daddy is right. I can see the doctor tomorrow." she said softly. "It isn't so bad." She gave him a watery smile to prove the point.  
  
"I think you can trust my judgement on this." Jeff began, "Lord knows I've been in the emergency room with Gordon and his brothers enough times. Actually, now that I think of it, more or less with Gordon. He just seems to attract trouble." He gave the girl what he hoped was an encouraging smile. It just didn't seem right to tell her to 'Buck up and take it like a man!'.  
  
"Gordon needs someone to look after him. I tried my best Mr. Tracy, but..." She paused and gulped ... "I don' feel so good."  
  
Jeff Tracy found himself holding a fainting teenager. "NURSE!" he bellowed in a voice used to being heard over the sound of jet planes.  
  
  
  



	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12  
  
Jeff Tracy found himself reading the same paragraph of the contract over and over again, but nothing seemed to make sense. He prided himself on being able to unravel and translate the most difficult legalese into plain terms. He sighed deeply and rubbing his tired neck focusing on something else. His gaze fell on the picture on his desk. It was a picture of his five sons from last Thanksgiving. The boys had given it to him with the fine silver frame for Christmas. It was certainly sturdier than the usual gilded macaroni and cardboard creations that the boys presented to him over the years. They were growing so much these days. Just yesterday, it seemed, the only crises he had to manage was the death of a pet hamster, or a scraped knee.   
  
He was a tough father, lord knows with his rambunctious bunch and trying to raise them without Lucille... he had to be. Yet, Judge Jones was almost in the same position and seemed to have no idea how to raise children. Jeff witnessed a dressing down by the Judge of the poor child Martha that would have made a Marine tremble. Yes, she had broken the rules by working alone with dangerous equipment, but Gordon was just as much to blame. He figured that the girl had learned her lesson with the nasty burn. Gordon had taken his punishment quietly, showing remorse for his friend's injury and for the damage he'd done. A month's grounding and extra housework would keep the boy busy. With only two months to graduation and Gordon going off to the Air Force Academy it was time he settled down.   
  
Jeff turned his attentions back to the stack of papers. Fluctuations in stock in Tracy Industries had wreaked havoc with his work. Someone was playing the market with a heavy hand, and he had to work hard to keep his contracts. He hoped that a trip to the Orient wasn't in the offing. He hated to call his mother back from Florida to put up with the vagaries of the New England spring, not to speak of the vagaries of Gordon and Alan. Maybe one of the older boys would be willing to take some leave... he turned his attention back to the pesky contract.  
  
Em rolled restlessly in her bed. The sheets and blankets all conspired against her to make sleeping impossible. Her hand throbbed and she felt hot and cold at the same time. Daddy had been mad. The kind of cold, calculating anger that made lawyers blanche, and felons positively terrified. But, she was his daughter, not a criminal. Mr. Tracy for all of his gruffness had been so kind. She could see a lot of Gordon in him. She breathed out a quavering sigh that threatened to become a sob. Gordon. She was used to having a broken heart around him. Gordon never thought of her in a romantic way, not like a girl friend. She was content just to be his friend, but now that tie had disappeared. He didn't care about her. Maybe he never did. The sob finally escaped and she cried herself to sleep.   
  
Charlotte took a deep breath and punched in the familiar number on her phone.  
  
"I thought we weren't going to call one another." The deep masculine voice said on the line.  
  
"I know...but, well my sister got hurt..." Charlotte stammered. She bit her bottom lip nervously.   
  
"How badly?" Was the sharp reply.  
  
"She got a bad burn on her hand. She'll be all right, but..."  
  
"You losing your nerve? I knew I never should have put trust in a child..."  
  
"No! You can trust me! I've done so much! And I'm not a child!"  
  
"Sweetheart, your so much is merely a small cog in my plans to take over Tracy Industries. Don't place so much importance on your head. I doubt if you playing around with Tracy's son even ruffles his feathers." The male voice dripped with scorn and a hint of laughter.  
  
"What do I have to do? Just tell me. I can prove my worth." Charlotte's voice was strong and determined, but her face was screwed up in pain and a real tear traced itself down her cheek.  
  
There was silence on the other end of the phone call.  
  
"Scandal. Tell Tracy that you are pregnant with his son's child."  
  
"Ummm we never..." Charlotte murmured.  
  
"How can someone bent on being unscrupulous still be innocent. Seduce him, wrap him tighter around your little fingers."  
  
"What if we elope? I think I can make him marry me." Charlotte whispered. She wasn't willing to sacrifice her virginity to her business partner's prospects.  
  
"That will do." The voice sounded satisfied. "Now, don't call me until you've done your work. Remember the rewards for this job will be - considerable."  
  
"Just as long it gets me out of this prison." Charlotte spat out and scrubbed the tears off her face. "You can trust me."  
  
"Trust you? You little lying witch? Never!" The man laughed, "But I will count on you."  
  
Charlotte didn't waste any time. She easily entered her sister's room where she was sleeping. Anticipating her need for it, Charlotte had replaced her sister's pain pills with two of her mother's much stronger sedatives. Martha didn't even twitch as Charlotte powered up her computer and deftly entered the ridiculous password of Indiana Gordon.   
  
"Ah, good fresh material. You really should have shared some of this with dear Flash," Charlotte muttered triumphantly. "Then he would be eating out of your hand instead of mine. Then again, dear sister, you are not beautiful or even pretty. And I have the interest of an older man." Em stirred restlessly in her bed and Charlotte went back to copying by hand the words she wanted. Gordon Tracy was as good as hers.  
  
Gordon didn't know when he felt so miserable. Everything in his life seemed to be going down the tubes, flushed down the toilet that was his life. Run over by the train as he lay tied to the tracks. Hung out to dry, like the laundry, only to have it rain.  
  
He had tried to explain to Charlotte that he couldn't stay, but she kept clinging to him and sniveling. It was a pretty horrible thing that had happened to her, but it was only two bits of hair and she was still pretty, he explained to her over and over again.   
  
Predictably, his father had hit the roof when he found out that Gordon had been with Charlotte instead of backing up Em. And Em! Em wasn't speaking to him. She didn't even get mad at him and hit him like she usually did when he screwed up. The look on her face was so - hurt. Alan had taken the remains of her science project to the Jones house, as he was persona non grata there. The judge had practically issued a restraining order between Tracy's and Jones's. When he asked Alan how everyone was, he got a note smuggled to him from Charlotte and snarl from his normally affable little brother.  
  
"You made her cry!" Alan said accusingly and went to his room slamming the door two times to make sure Gordon got the message.  
  
Dearest Gordon,  
I spent the whole night crying, and worrying about you!! You are my strength, and my encouragement to continue through these times and trials. I just hope that I can find the courage to match yours in the days to come. I wrote a poem about you. I think you will like it.  
You are burning with the heat of life,  
Heart of flame of yours rule your head  
Well, you always had a spirit that burned so bright,  
That my eyes could not always bear it's light.  
  
Yours forever,  
Charlotte Jones  
  
P.S. Meet me in the library after English Class.  
  
He felt his ears burn. A poem, huh? But it sort fit him and made him feel good, something he wasn't sure he deserved. He was sure that Em would forgive him, in time, and Charlotte was ready to stand with him through anything.  
  
  
  



	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13  
  
Jeff Tracy grimaced as the vidphone rang its dulcet tones. Why on earth he had let the boys program that obnoxious "Lost in Space" theme to play sometimes made him wonder about his and their sanity.  
  
The last weeks had been more than busy, they had been frenetic. Thanks to Kyrano in Asia, he still had a business to hang on to, but as soon as Alan finished school and Gordon was sent off to the Academy then he would have to take an extended trip to the far east. His mother was going to take Alan for the summer and the rest of the boys were busy in the service.   
  
Gordon's graduation had gone off without a hitch, he didn't come in top of the class, but a good standing. Thankfully, he didn't want a big party and seemed to be settling down, at least the house wasn't filled with his noisy friends. Matter of fact, he couldn't remember when the boys had their last party.   
  
He hit the call button plastering a polite smile on his face. The smile changed to a genuine one when he saw who was calling.  
  
"General Travis!" Jeff greeted an old Air Force buddy from way back.  
  
"Colonel Tracy, good to see you. You are looking fit."  
  
"You mean for a civilian?" Jeff smiled. The general was ten years older than him, but still looked like he ate nails for lunch and junior officers for snacks.  
  
General Travis gave a bark of laughter. "I saw your son, Scott last week in Houston. He sends greetings."  
  
Jeff smiled even broader. "How is he?"  
  
"Might even be a better pilot than you someday." Travis smiled.  
  
"I'm sure he will." Jeff Tracy didn't over emphasize his own accomplishments, but he was more than happy to be over prideful of his sons.  
  
"Scott mentioned that young Gordon should be going to the Academy next month."  
  
"Just following the Tracy family tradition."  
  
"I hate to say this Jeff." The General looked serious. "But he isn't enrolled. I went to check out his papers and there is no application from Gordon Tracy."  
  
"Could it be some snafu in communications?" Jeff looked slightly worried.   
  
"I've run a quick check on my side, but I thought I'd give you a head's up. If you can let me know when the application was mailed in I can pull the strings from this side. Maybe we can shoehorn the boy in. I think the service is ready for more Tracy's."  
  
"Thanks Orrin. I'll get on it from my side. My love to your wife."  
  
"Will do."   
  
Jeff gave a big sigh as the vid warbled almost immediately on him cutting the connection. This time it was business. One small part of his brain was going through possible scenarios for this latest imbroglio with Gordon. Much as he loved his son, he was secretly looking forwards to the boy moving out of the house so he could have some peace and quiet.  
  
After the call, Jeff made his way up to Gordon's room. He found the room empty, which wasn't surprising for a bright June day. It looked like Gordon was getting ready to leave, school books were in a neat pile on his desk and clothes seemed to be less thrown around and more tidied into drawers and closets. Jeff felt his fingers twitch as he neared the desk and its piles of papers. It would be so easy to do a quick search, but he had to trust the boy.   
  
"Father?" Gordon had come quietly into the room. He looked tired. Jeff's eyes narrowed looking for signs of dissolution. Virgil had gone through one phase in his last year of high school bordering on overindulgence in beer. Luckily, he had gotten so hung over one weekend that seemed to have made a strong enough impression on him to forego any more binges.  
  
"Are you looking for something?" Gordon's eyes moved to the papers on the desk.  
  
"Your application to the Air Force Academy has gone missing. Can you tell me when..." Jeff began.  
  
"I never sent it."   
  
"If we know when it was sent then..." the words sunk in. "What do you mean you never sent it?" Jeff heard the sharp tone in his voice and then repeated more slowly. "What do you mean never sent it?"  
  
"Just what I said Father, I never sent it." Gordon's chin shot up. "Going to the Air Force Academy was your idea, not mine."  
  
"Of all the irresponsible, hair brained ideas you have Gordon, why throw away your future?" Jeff could find himself getting mad. Really mad.  
  
"I didn't want to go!" Gordon shouted back. "You just thought I was going to do everything your way! Well, I didn't!"  
  
"Just what were you thinking? If you were thinking at all!" Jeff was furious. "You threw away your future at the Academy just like that!" He snapped his fingers.   
  
"I didn't want to go!" Gordon repeated.  
  
"You don't know what you want! You are being totally irresponsible!" Jeff was winding himself up even more. The phone in the study began to warble demandingly.   
  
"I do know what I want!" Gordon shouted to his father who was torn between the shouting match and the demanding ascending call of the phone.  
  
"I'll talk to you later." Jeff pointed a finger at the young man.  
  
"It's always later!" Gordon shouted to his father's retreating back. "You never listen any more." He said in a lower tone to himself. He threw himself on his bed and pulled out his phone. His finger hit the quick dial.  
  
"Hello Charlotte? Can I see you? Now? Yeah I'll meet you at the usual place."  
  
Jeff was deep in his call when he heard the front door slam. "Look buy up as many of the options as you can. If I have to liquidate some assets, I will. No one is going to take over Tracy Industries, not if I can help it."  
  
Charlotte and Gordon had taken to meeting in the basement of the youth club ever since Em had her accident. It seemed that no one had wanted to see him around the Jones place and his father always looked pained when Charlotte showed up at his home.   
  
Charlotte flew into his arms.  
  
"Oh Gordon, you look so sad." She cooed at him. "What is the matter?"  
  
"My father found out about the Air Force Academy." Gordon said glumly and pulled the girl to sit next to him on the couch. She snuggled up to him trustingly raising her blue eyes to his face. "He blew a fuse. He said I was being irresponsible."  
  
"Oh, but that isn't true!" Charlotte defended him stoutly. "You are a wonderful person Gordon. So true and fair! It's why..." She lowered her eyes demurely. "It's why I love you. I want to help you Gordon."  
  
"Just being here with me is enough." Gordon said warmly and gave her a hug. "Just talking to you makes me feel better."  
  
"If only we didn't have to go behind our father's backs. We should be together."   
  
Gordon was silent for a moment.  
  
"You don't love me? Is that it Gordon? Oh, I have made such a fool of myself." Charlotte broke into tears. Sobs that shook her shoulders and tears that left silver tracks down her face. She dabbed at her eyes delicately, knowing that she looked good while crying.  
  
"Aw, no! Charlotte. I - I love you too! I just don't know how things will go when I'm in the Navy."  
  
"If - if we were married..." she prodded carefully. "My hero, my heart of flame..."  
  
"Charlotte...I'm not sure." Gordon began.  
  
"Martha has been so distant and Daddy so mean. Please Gordon, for both of us?" She held his hand to her tear streaked cheek and kissed it lovingly.  
  
"All right. We'll do it. I'll show Father just how responsible I can be."  
  
"Oh, Gordon darling! You have made me so happy!" Charlotte bestowed an enthusiastic kiss on him. "We can go tomorrow. Drive across the border and I will be Mrs. Gordon Tracy!" Charlotte bounced happily on the sofa, all traces of tears gone.  
  



	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14  
  
"No." Em stood up to her father for the first time in her life.  
  
He stared down his nose at her, astonished at the resistance.  
  
"I will not study to be a nurse. I do not want to be a nurse. I want to be an engineer."  
  
The judge gave a quelling look. "Nursing is a good profession. Suitable for ...you. For females. Engineering is for men."  
  
"No." Em repeated.   
  
"Then you will get no help from me. Matter of fact you can just leave if you think yourself independent." The judge was sure that his protected, pampered daughter would not easily make her own way. It just went to show how well he knew her, or didn't know her.  
  
"Why can't I do what I want to do?" Em felt the bottom of her stomach turn somersaults. Her father couldn't be so cruel, could he?  
  
"You owe me your loyalty as a daughter. I have raised you, housed you, and am willing to educate you in a useful career until you marry."  
  
She was silent for a moment, hesitant to burn her bridges. She could take some engineering classes on the side...  
  
Sensing her vacillation and capitulation Em's father added. "You can live at home, go to the community college. I'll buy you a car."  
  
The teenager snapped. Her senior science project never finished, her grades were not what she had wished. Gordon had stopped speaking to her for some reason, her sister was a snobby brat who snooped in her room, and now her father was going to have her be a servant to his wishes.  
  
"No. You take care of Mommy. You care for her when she throws a tantrum and tries to hit you. You clean up the messes she makes. You hold her when she cries. She's your responsibility! Not mine!"  
  
"You ungrateful little girl. Well, you are 18 and of legal age. I am not responsible for you any longer. You are free to leave, or fulfill your duties as I have outlined." Judge Jones left the girl standing in the living room to go to his study. He was sure that she would come to her senses soon.  
  
Em went up to her room to pack. There was a lump in her throat that seemed as big as a grapefruit. Her belongings were really few, just a few momentos from happier moments. She went to say good-bye to her mother, but she was in one of her silent moods, not even acknowledging her daughter's existence.  
  
She then went to tap on her sister's door. From the gushing tones inside, she must be talking to Gordon.  
  
"Yes darling! I am so thrilled! How sweet!" Her face when opening the door to her sister was bland and unfeeling.  
  
"Can I talk to you a minute?" Em asked her. "Please?"  
  
"Gordie dearest. I have to go now. I'll call you back in five! Kiss kiss hug hug!"  
  
"Listen Charlotte. I know you and I haven't been on the best of terms,"   
  
Charlotte gave an inelegant snort.   
  
"I'm leaving. Daddy has plans for me that I just can't accept. It will leave you in a jam, and for that I'm sorry."  
  
"You won't have to worry about me. I have plans too. They don't include being a free nurse."  
  
"I hope to get a job. You could come with me." Em looked hopefully at her sister. "We could learn to get along."  
  
The two sisters stared at each other.  
  
"I don't think it would work out." Charlotte said slowly.  
  
"I didn't think so either, but I thought I should ask." Em said sadly. She pulled the startled Charlotte into a hug that was not returned. "I'm sorry. I should have been a better sister."  
  
"You were okay." Charlotte shrugged and then smiled just like her father. "Thank you for Gordon. He's all mine now."  
  
"Yes. I know. Take good care of him Charlotte."  
  
"Oh. I will. Good-bye Martha." Charlotte turned away and was already on the phone to Gordon.  
  
"My dear Gordie!" were the last words Em heard as she shut the door to her sister's room and a large piece of her life.   
  
Gordon Tracy had broken her heart without even knowing it was his to have.  
  



	16. Chapter 15

  
Chapter 15  
  
Gordon bounded up the stairs to his room taking two at a time. He would pack his bag and then go pick up Charlotte, and they would drive... He skipped a step banging his shin painfully, he swore loudly taking the rest of the steps one at a time. To his dismay Alan popped out of his room to look at who was making noise.  
  
"Yo bro.." He began as Gordon brushed by him brusquely. "Hey Gordon." Alan followed on Gordon's heels into his room.  
  
Why did he have to be so nosy? Gordon began to pack some clothes. He glared at Alan. "Beat it kid." He said gruffly.  
  
"Why?" Alan grinned. Gordon was spoiling for a fight, well so was he. He was tired of walking around his surly brother on tiptoe. He walked further into the room and started picking up things off his brother's desk. That was a surefire way to rile his brother. Alan balanced on his toes ready for the swipe aimed at his head. He was surprised to be largely ignored.  
  
"Hey what's up?" Concern colored Alan's voice. "Where are you going?" He laid a hand on Gordon's arm. "I know Dad tore a strip off you last night, but taking off like this..."  
  
"We know what we are doing! We're not running away! I'm taking charge of my life, just like father wants me to do!" Gordon started stripping off his T-shirt. He was too focused to bother with getting rid of Alan, besides his concern felt - good. The fact that he'd dropped from being school hero to school heel in a short period of time had been more painful than he wanted to admit. The big argument with his father yesterday hadn't helped either. He emptied out his pockets and threw the contents onto his dresser while pulling off the jeans to drop shot them into his laundry basket.   
  
Alan ignored the spare change and focussed on the small velvet box that his brother had tossed on the desk. He looked at it curiously before picking it up to turn it in his hands. He looked up at his brother who was standing in front of his closet and pulling out the plastic bag that held his good suit. Alan's jaw dropped in understanding and he opened the box to confirm his suspicions. Nestled in the satin was a ring, a wedding ring if he hadn't missed the boat completely.  
  
"Oh man..." Alan groaned.   
  
Gordon turned to see the open box in his brother's hands. The two stared at each other for what seemed forever. Gordon felt his stomach dip. Sure, he and Alan scrapped, but they had always remained close, depending on one another especially when their older brothers weren't around. Or especially when they were around.  
  
"I - I am getting married. Today. Charlotte and I are going to drive across the border and get married there." Gordon confessed.  
  
Alan's mouth snapped shut along with the velvet case.   
  
"We gotta do it, Alan. It's the only way we can really live the lives we want to." Gordon explained shredding the plastic off the navy blue suit.  
  
"Father..." Alan began.  
  
"Father is forcing me into something I don't want." Gordon said mulishly. "He just can't understand. He won't listen to me. No one does." He muttered.  
  
"Okay." Alan handed over the box. "Do you need anything? I have some money saved."  
  
Gordon looked at his baby brother for the first time. "Thanks bro, but Charlotte has some savings and I have mine. We'll be fine." He went to pat him on the shoulder and was surprised to be pulled into a hug. The two brothers hung onto each other a fraction longer than usual.   
  
"Promise me. Word of a Tracy. Don't tell anyone, especially Father." Gordon squeezed his brother's shoulder.  
  
"I promise." Alan swore.  
  
"I promise." Gordon averred.  
  
The ceremony was short and mechanical. In no time at all, Charlotte Jones had become Mrs. Tracy. Gordon looked at his bride. She was dressed immaculately in a cream silk sheath dress that emphasized her clear skin and glowing blue eyes. She had seemed cool and collected all through the ceremony, but now seemed a bit agitated and nervous. Gordon felt a well of protective emotion rise up.   
  
"It will be okay darling." He hugged her and bent his head for a well earned kiss.   
  
"Please Gordon. I need time. Can we wait until we get to the hotel?" She squirmed in his grip and brushed at the dress ironing out imaginary wrinkles with her fingers.  
  
"Hotel? I thought we were going home...to tell our fathers." Gordon looked perplexed.  
  
"Without even having our wedding night?" Charlotte pouted. "I booked us a room at the Motel Seven two miles from here."  
  
"Uh sure, that will be fine." Gordon felt as if the tie around his neck just got a little too tight. "Right!" He said cheerfully. Charlotte was so good at details, just like Em.  
  
The motel looked awfully seedy and the desk clerk incredibly bored with the whole procedure of checking them in. It looked like the kind of place that only catered for clients needing a room for a few hours rather than overnight, not to speak of an ideal place for a wedding night.  
  
"Uh, I think I can afford a little better place than this..." Gordon began carefully as he took in the cheap surroundings.  
  
"But I chose it!" Charlotte blinked her blue eyes at him, a single tear resting on her perfect cheek. "Aren't you happy with me Gordon?" She turned away and sniffed delicately into a lacy handkerchief that was handily in her purse.  
  
"Aw, of course I am darling. I just want what is best for us." Why did his knees feel like rubber and his stomach churn unhappily?  
  
"Gordon darling, why don't you go and buy us a bottle of champagne while I get ready?" Charlotte batted her eyes at him and blushed charmingly.  
  
"Champagne? I'm not sure if I'm old enough to buy liquor in this state." Gordon looked confused. "I thought you didn't like to drink?"  
  
"It's our wedding day Gordon." Charlotte's mouth moved into a thin line of disapproval.  
  
"Well sure darling for you." Gordon kissed his bride on the cheek as she ducked to avoid his lips. Well, they were both new at this sort of thing.  
  
No sooner than Gordon was driving away then Charlotte was on the phone.  
  
"It's done." she giggled happily. "I did it!"  
  
"Good. Now you know what to do next." Came the terse orders.  
  
"Right. A phone call to Daddy."  
  



	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16  
  
Jeff Tracy paced the living room for about the thirtieth time. The vidphone for once was disturbingly quiet. He was within a hair's breath of losing Tracy Industries, but he didn't care. What he didn't want to do was lose his son.  
  
Alan sat on the couch looking thoroughly miserable. "I promised not to tell." He kept saying.  
He wished his father would make him tell.  
  
"It's okay son, why don't you go get some sleep. I'll wait up."  
  
The sound of a car driving up and doors slamming brought both of the Tracys to the window.  
  
"Oh man a cop car!" Alan groaned.  
  
"Dear God!" Jeff went to open the front door as two burly policemen wrestled his son to the front porch. Gordon looked disheveled and there was blood spilled down the front of his shirt and a dark bruise forming on his cheek.  
  
"Gordon! Son!" Jeff pulled him into the house with a hug. He then realized that Gordon was handcuffed. "What is the meaning of this? Take off those handcuffs now."  
  
"You gonna be good, buddy? No going back to the Judge's house?" The older officer asked.  
  
Gordon nodded mutely. Once released he sat heavily on the sofa rubbing his wrists.  
  
"Alan." Jeff turned to find his youngest son already standing with an ice pack and a towel. "Good thinking."  
  
"Here." Alan sat next to his brother and put the ice pack gingerly to his face.  
  
Gordon snatched the ice pack from him. "I can take care of it myself." He muttered. "Go away."  
  
Alan got up and shot a confused look at his father.  
  
"Go make us some coffee, son." Jeff smiled encouragingly.  
  
"What happened?" He directed his question to Gordon who was carefully applying the ice to his bruised cheek.  
  
"Got in trouble." came the terse reply.  
  
"We got called to Judge Jones house about an hour ago. This young man was trying to break in."  
  
"He didn't have the right to keep me from her!" Gordon dropped the ice pack and rose to his feet his fists raised.  
  
"Sit down, boy!" The younger cop moved aggressively towards the teen. He found himself facing a bristling Jeff Tracy who had stepped between the cops and his son. The lawman found himself taking a hasty step back.  
  
The older officer put a placating hand out. "We talked to the young lady and her father. I'm sorry son, but she says she can't see you."  
  
"He's making her say that!" Gordon looked close to tears. "She loves me. We...we got married!"  
  
Jeff put a hand on his son's shoulder. He could feel Gordon trembling with suppressed emotion.   
  
"Let's just settle down. I'll go personally and talk to Judge Jones and his daughter. First thing in the morning." He added in a firmer tone. "I think we all need to settle down first." A little added pressure to Gordon's shoulder and he sat down with a sigh on the sofa.  
  
"Good idea, sir." The younger officer nodded. Jeff noticed the scrapes on his knuckles.  
  
"If I can have a word with you two officers outside?" Jeff said calmly as Alan came in with a pot of coffee and a pile of sandwiches. He was following Granny's general rule of thumb in a crisis. Eat first - worry later.  
  
As soon as the door shut behind them Jeff Tracy stopped being a careful man. He shoved the younger cop up against the side of the building. "You - better - have a good reason - for roughing up my son!" He bit out.  
  
"He resisted..." The young officer sent a pleading look to his senior partner.  
  
"They both got a little hot headed." The older cop pulled a reluctant Jeff off the officer. "Mr. Tracy. Your son is a good kid. That's why he is here and not in the lock-up."  
  
"Thank you." Jeff said gruffly. "The girl?"  
  
"I talked to her personally, made sure her Daddy wasn't around influencing things. She...her heart wasn't in it, sir. I tried to tell your son, but he just wasn't listening."  
  
Jeff Tracy gave a deep sigh. "I'll still have a talk with them tomorrow."  
  
The two went to leave. The older officer turned back to Jeff Tracy. "Judge Jones is a tough man, I've seen him put away criminals that deserve to be shut up and the key thrown away. I respect him for that. Don't let the boy go back, it'll just mean trouble."  
  
"I'll do what I can." Jeff Tracy said solemnly. "And what is best for my son."  
  
"Yessir." The officer threw him a salute.  
  
Jeff Tracy went into the house with a heavy heart. He took one look at the broken face of his son. He'd seen that face before, in the mirror, after he'd lost Lucille. He gave a nod to Alan who got the hint and beat a hasty retreat.  
  
"Gordon." Jeff sat on the sofa next to the desolate young man.  
  
"He just came and took her away. She was crying. I went to get her back. I screwed up, Father. I screwed up everything. You were so mad at me."  
  
"Gordon." Jeff said carefully. "I was mad at what you did, not at you. Never at you. This is also my fault. I was so wrapped up in business that I forgot that you boys needed me too. You tried to talk to me and I wasn't listening. I'm sorry Gordon."  
  
"I let you down. If you still want me to, I'll try for the Air Force Academy next year."  
  
"Son," Jeff put his hand on his son's neck and gave it a gentle squeeze." What do you want? I'm listening.  
  
"I applied to the Naval Academy. I want to study Marine Biology, go into subs, if I'm good enough."  
  
"You're a Tracy. That's good enough and the Naval Academy would be good for you. New ground. You won't have to live up to your brother's reps. Good idea son."  
  
"I have to report in in two days." Gordon said faintly.   
  
"We'll go together son." Jeff said softly as he helped his son lie back on the sofa. He carefully wiped the blood off his cheek.  
  
"Em was right. I should have talked to you earlier." Gordon said sleepily.  
  
"Em is a very smart girl, you could do worse than listen to her." Jeff said watching his son fight exhaustion.  
  
"One thing though, Gordon." Jeff covered his son with the afghan thrown over the back of the couch. "Now that you are in the Navy...No tattoos!"  
  
"Why not?" Gordon said closing his eyes. "Scott has one."  
  
"I didn't need to know that." Jeff Tracy muttered to himself. as he turned off the lights to turn in. Tomorrow was going to be a tough day for all of them.  
  



	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17  
  
"She isn't here." Judge Jones stood firmly in the doorway.  
  
"May I come in?" Jeff Tracy stood just as firmly.  
  
Seeing that Mr. Tracy was alone the judge let him to sit in the living room. The room looked virtually unused. No sign of teenage residents showed. Perhaps it was the difference between girls and boys, Jeff thought. Then again, maybe not.  
  
"She left this morning to go back to Aunt's place in New York. I've already set the papers in motion to have this little adventure annulled. Quietly annulled."  
  
"My son wants to be married to your daughter. I am willing to back up his wishes."  
  
"Mr. Tracy. I have sat on the bench for over thirty years. I know when I am being lied to or when someone is being less than honest. My daughter has no interest in being married to your son."  
  
"I would rather hear that from her."  
  
"I doubt you would like to hear her reasons." Judge Jones sat down heavily. "How is business lately? Have you had problems, someone playing with your stock?"  
  
"I don't see how that has anything to do with Gordon and Charlotte." Jeff began tightly.  
  
"Unfortunately, my daughter has the mistaken opinion that her meddling with your son will affect the stock market. I have put a stop to that. I could get you the proof, but I think that will hardly be necessary under the circumstances."  
  
"I'm not a liar Mr.Tracy." Jones added when the silence grew longer.  
  
"But you are claiming your daughter is."  
  
"Yes. I have seemed to fail in raising any decency in my children." Judge Jones tone was bitter. "You were lucky in having boys. Females are such a disappointment. Even Martha has rebelled against my wishes."  
  
"Perhaps...later." Jeff said with a degree of relief.  
  
"I think your boy will be disappointed even then. But for now it would be best if they went their own ways. I won't press charges for last night's disturbance."  
  
There was the crash of glass and a low wail from upstairs.  
  
"My wife is upset at the loss of her offspring. You will excuse me?" Jones rose to his feet calmly as the wails became louder.  
  
"You were lucky Mr. Tracy." He said showing his visitor to the door. "Your wife died."  
  
"Me? No. I would give anything to have my wife back in any kind of condition. You sir, have thrown away two daughters that is your loss!" Jeff marched out of the house fuming. He didn't doubt that Jones was telling the truth about Charlotte. She wasn't the kind of girl he liked. He just had to break the news as gently as possible to Gordon. He didn't need to know that she had been using him. The sooner they put this all behind them, the better. Water under the bridge.   



	19. Chapter 18

  
Chapter 18  
The movements were automatic. The stretch, the pull, the stretch, the pull, the stretch, a breath, the pull. Gordon lapped the pool waiting for the familiar burn of exhaustion. No matter that it was two in the morning and he'd done a heavy day's work off loading a month's groceries and supplies for the island community. It took a lot of provender to feed the Tracy bunch, so Granny and Kyrano reminded them.   
  
His mind wasn't on the swimming, it was on the letter he'd received with the mail today. The creamy embossed envelope was strikingly anonymous and the contents were simple, an announcement really and of no direct concern to him, or was it? A twinge of pain in his back broke the stroke. He'd pushed himself too far. He glided to the side of the pool and rested his head on his folded arms waiting for the muscles to stop jumping and twitching. Unfortunately, as his body returned to normal breathing and blood flow, his brain kicked into overdrive. Why him? Why now? Why was he so unnerved after all these years?  
  
A towel brushed against his face and he glared up to see someone offering the towel. Harsh words, too readily rose to his lips and then he saw that it was his sister-in-law, Marie. He swallowed his comment and took the offering and hauled himself out of the pool.  
  
"Thanks." He said gruffly. "What are you doing up so late?" He noticed that she must be wearing Virgil's robe as it was way too long and the sleeves had been rolled up double. She curled up like a cat on one of the lounge chairs and watched him patiently as he rubbed his coppery red hair dry.  
  
"Thought you might like to have company."  
  
"I'm okay." He looked at her sideways. Marie had a talent for getting to the point of where things went wrong, or right as the case maybe. The debriefings had become very thorough with her in charge.  
  
"Of course." She waited patiently. He wasn't a child, but she knew hurt when she saw it and just waited for her chance to talk to her new brother. "I always wanted to have a brother or sister. It would have been nice to have someone to share things with."  
  
"You have Virgil." Gordon sat on the other lounge chair.   
  
"I didn't take him away from you." Marie said softly. "He still cares very much for all of you."  
  
"I know. I'm not jealous. I'm happy for you, really." Gordon assured her.   
  
"So, if it isn't me, what is it?" Marie sprang the trap neatly.  
  
Gordon sighed and rubbed the towel over his rapidly drying body. The darkness hid his face leaving them both just formless shadows in the dark. The stars, ever bright in the sky looked down.   
  
"I suppose Virgil told you that I was married once, well we eloped, but her father stopped it before, well before we got to...you know."  
  
"Yes. He told me. That must have been difficult."  
  
"Difficult? It was hell. I'll always remember her face crying at the window of the car as her father drove her away."  
  
"So my marrying Virgil has kind of opened the whole thing up again." Marie mused.  
  
"No. Well, yes, kinda."  
  
"Tell me about her."  
  
"Charlotte was beautiful, long, curly red hair. Not coppery like mine, but a deep dark red. It would curl around my fingers." His hands twisted in the towel. "But what really made me love her was that she knew me so well. I mean, we would talk together and it was as if she had known me for years. Known my dreams, my hopes. She even wrote me a poem." Gordon was glad that the darkness hid his blush.   
  
"Tell me." Marie urged.  
  
"You are burning with the heat of life,  
Heart of flame of yours rule your head  
Well, you always had a spirit that burned so bright,"  
That my eyes could not always bear it's light." Gordon said distantly. Funny how the words had remained with him." Silly teenage stuff." He continued gruffly.  
  
"Whoever wrote that knew you well, and must have loved you." Marie said. "Did you ever see her again?"  
  
"I wrote to her, but all the letters came back unopened. I even tried to call Em. That was her older sister." Gordon sighed. "She was gone, too. I don't know where she is either. Em was my best friend until I got her into an accident."  
  
"Was it very serious?"  
  
"Well, no. A bad burn, but she turned against me. Started rumors in the school that I had done it on purpose. My last months of high school were pretty uncomfortable. Funny. It wasn't like Em at all. We used to get each other in and out of scrapes all through high school."  
  
"Like what you get up to nowadays, Banana Boy?" Marie teased. (See Island of Danger)   
  
"Worse! Em had a finesse for details." Gordon kissed the tips of his fingers. "Indiana Jones and Flash Gordon, together we could have blown up the school." He continued on a wistful note. "I miss her. Maybe she sent me the invitation."  
  
"Invitation?"  
  
"Her father died. Last week. I got an invitation to the funeral today." Gordon said. He felt as if a heavy stone had lifted off his chest.   
  
" Do you think you can handle going over the past? " Marie asked.  
  
"I haven't been doing a very good job of it lately, have I?"Gordon said sheepishly.  
  
"No." She said bluntly, "But maybe you should go and talk to Charlotte. Get closure of some kind."  
  
"Yeah. I think I'll do that." Gordon leaned over to kiss his surprised sister-in-law on the cheek. "Thanks. I think we are all lucky to have you, not just Virgil."  
  
"Why Gordon, that's the nicest thing to say." Marie laid a hand on his cheek. "Good luck to you." She called after his retreating form in the dark as he bounded up the steps from the pool with more energy than the others had seen in days.  
  
"You are amazing." Virgil walked out of the shadows.  
  
"Oh, Virgil!" Marie gave a little squeak. "You scared me!"   
  
"Don't you think I wouldn't miss you?" He pulled her up to her feet and wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"I thought you were sound asleep. You were snoring loud enough to be mistaken for an elephant with bronchitis." She added thoughtfully.  
  
"Thank you." He said huskily his hands were busy with the ties of the robe. "For helping with Gordon."  
  
"I love your brothers, too." Marie shivered in the night air as Virgil divested her of the robe, it wasn't just from the chill.   
  
"But, not like you love me?" Virgil toyed with the strap of her sheer teddy.  
  
"Mmmm. I love you best of all Virgil. Every bit of you." Her hands became as busy as his.   
  
"Ever done it in the water?" Virgil muttered in her ear.  
  
"Teach me." Her arms wound around his neck.  
  
When the sun rose some four hours later, three of the Tracy's slept deeply and happily with hair still damp from swimming and other sport.  



	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19  
  
Gordon wondered if was himself, or just the general atmosphere that usually pervaded funerals. The air was thick with tension. People seemed to be gathered in little protective groups. Conversation was a muted buzz of undistinguished platitudes. Of course, the greater number of them were lawyers, that was enough to ruin any atmosphere.  
  
He'd seen disaster areas littered with dead people that were more lively than this gathering.   
  
Gordon didn't recognize anyone at first, though there was a anoretic-looking blonde woman who looked familiar. She was dressed in a black number that would have looked better at a cocktail party than at a wake. She eyed him sharply, like a plate of of tasty appetizers.  
  
Speaking of which he caught a glimpse of red hair disappearing into the kitchen. Scenting his quarry, he moved in for the kill. All of his carefully rehearsed lines fled out of his head as he saw the forlorn figure with her back to him. He took in the bowed head and the shoulders shaking with barely controlled emotion.  
  
"Aw sweetheart..." he turned her by her shoulders and she tipped her face towards him.  
  
"Gordon!?" Watery blue eyes brightened and her sad face tried to smile. The kiss was meant as a greeting, a comfort, but her soft lips trembling under his urged him to something more intimate, with more feeling.  
  
Her fingers twining into the hairs of his neck and the soft body pressed to his encouraged his arms to draw her closer and on the breaking of the kiss softly nuzzle her cheek. A familiar scent of soap and some kind of flowers drew a contented sigh from him. God, he missed her!  
  
"Oh very pretty! Daddy not even cold in his grave and you are snogging with the guests in the kitchen." A familiar low syrupy voice interrupted the embrace.  
  
The slim blonde woman stood in the doorway tapping her perfect nails on the counter. "Oh and not just with anybody, but with my dear ex-husband." She smiled a smile that would have made her father proud, showing sharp white teeth. "Do I get a kiss, too?" She pouted in a little girl way that years ago had been so engaging and now was...disturbing.  
  
Gordon thought he hid the double take rather well, but the sudden stiffening and withdrawal of the woman in his arms told him at least one woman had guessed his confusion.  
  
"Charlotte. Of course." He said smoothly and went over to her to kiss her well made up cheek. She moved her head to engage him in passionate tonsil lock which he returned to the best of his ability. Her heady perfume made his nose twitch and he broke off the kiss with a gasp for clean oxygen.  
  
"Oh Gordon, dear, I hope you are not still carrying a torch for me after all these years." A small satisfied smile touched her face. "How sweet of you to comfort poor Martha."  
  
"Yes, wasn't it." Gordon caught himself staring at the two women. Charlotte was made up perfectly, not a hair out of place, dressed in what even he recognized as 'top fashion'. Something that even Lady Penelope wouldn't be ashamed to wear, though not necessarily to a funeral.  
  
Em was the real surprise. Her red hair, tied back with a black ribbon was escaping in soft curls that framed a face that was thinner. She was still curvy, but the curves seemed to have settled nicely into more pleasing proportions. Her black dress was tasteful, but not in her sister's class by a long shot. Both women looked at him rather expectantly. Gordon was at a loss for words, just when he needed them the most. Somehow it wasn't surprising that Em came to his rescue.  
  
"I've got some work here to do, Charlotte. Why don't you take Gordon out to mingle." She suggested.  
  
"Oh do the sinks need unclogging?" The laugh wasn't terribly kind. Charlotte latched a possessive hand on Gordon and leading him out of the kitchen said in a rather loud voice. "Martha is a plumber. Isn't that just too much? Of course I'm an investment consultant with Hotek, Bradford, Coony, and maybe next year...Jones?"  
  
"Good for you." Gordon said faintly, his head seemed to be spinning with a lot of bits and pieces of information that just weren't falling into place. "So, do you like your work?" His own voice sounded rather inane.  
  
"But of course. It is what I always wanted to do. Even as a little girl I read Forbes, and Financial Weekly rather than play with dolls. Aunt Deirdre was totally supportive of my wishes. And I got into the firm very early, due to some work I did for them even as a teenager.  
  
"You went back to live with her? When?"  
  
"Why right after the annulment. Daddy was up for a state supreme court seat at the time and the scandal of our elopement would have been a disaster." She smiled at him. "I guess that going back to Aunt Deidre was something good that came out of our little..." she giggled, "mistake."  
  
"Mistake?" Gordon felt the heat rise to his face.   
  
"How sweet of you Gordon...you still care." Charlottes face softened and a genuine smile flashed on her face. "I could stay an extra day..." Her body leaned towards him in promise, he found himself leaning towards her.  
  
"Why uh an extra day?" Gordon said thickly. The people around them seem to have become unimportant. Murmurs and conversations were muted buzzing. He noted absently that Em's bringing a full tray of sandwiches from the kitchen caused a slight decibel rise.   
  
"Why? Well, you are quite attractive darling and we never did get to enjoy our," her voice lowered suggestively and huskily "...honeymoon."  
  
"There you are darling." An older man with wings of gray hair over his ears came to take a rather possessive hold over Charlotte.   
  
"Oliver, dear, this is Gordon Tracy." Charlotte said rather smugly.  
  
"Really?" The man drawled. "So, you are the fellow that got our little Charlotte started in business?  
  
Gordon was tired of this game already. He stared back. "I don't think my marriage to Charlotte was either a mistake or a business venture." He said coldly.  
  
"Oh but it was for Charlotte. Tell him darling. You were just a cog in the wheels to take over Tracy Industries. But imagine, she was just a teenager at the time. No surprise she is so ruthless, so successful, so hmm sexy, today." The man said in tones of real admiration Charlotte smiled like a cat with canary feathers around its mouth. "But, after all, the attempted takeover of Tracy Industries failed. Your father was the better business man. I, of course, got Charlotte." He smiled possessively at the blonde at his side. "She is too much woman for most men."  
  
"If it had been you doing the take over dear Oliver, there would be no Tracy Industries. Lucky you." Her brilliant blue eyes focussed on Gordon, she ran a long fingernail down Gordon's cheek so that the little hairs on his neck stood up. "I have to give some credit to dear Martha. Her diary showed me how to win you over. It was simple. She was hopelessly in love with you." She shrugged and smiled. "Go and ask her. Make the poor little plumber's day complete. Kiss her again. She can tell her pillow all about it for years to come!"  
  
Gordon stepped back from the couple as if he were standing on the edge of a sharp precipice. Inside he felt a churning in his gut and a nasty taste in his mouth. Discipline kept him from hitting someone, including the smug Charlotte.  
  
"You used me." He said flatly.  
  
"Yes." Charlotte said proudly.   
  
"I suppose it was you who called your father. That last performance was quite impressive." Gordon said coolly even though he was seething inside.  
  
Charlotte nodded as if accepting the academy award for underhandedness.   
  
"How could you?" Martha Jones came out from behind Gordon. "How could you?" She had obviously heard some of the revealing conversation.  
  
"I just followed in Daddy's footsteps. Take what you want."   
  
"He was a rotten father, but he did have principles. Something that seems to have escaped you!" Em was standing toe to toe with her sister her eyes glinting with rage.  
  
"Principles make you losers. Look at you...what do you have? Nothing. And knowing Daddy he probably left everything to his secretary. So, don't play at being the loving daughter with me! It is your fault that mother..." Her words were stopped by the roundhouse blow to her mouth. Gordon admired the hit. Em could always throw a good one.   
  
Charlotte went down like a falling log. Her partner stared at her lying inelegantly lying on the floor a red spot already forming over her eye.   
  
"My lawyers will be in touch." He began smoothly.  
  
Gordon grabbed the infuriated Em firmly, keeping her from punching out the older man.  
  
"I didn't see anything. My word against yours. Don't even think about messing with a Tracy again - ever!" Gordon gritted out between his teeth as he held onto Em as she struggled to get free. He pulled her forcibly into the kitchen while smiling inanely at the other guests who were trying not to stare at the interesting show.  
  
"Dammit Em, settle down!" He turned her towards him by the shoulders and gave her a shake. "Hitting people isn't going to make it right."  
  
"I know!" She yelled at him and then stopped struggling. "I know." She repeated in a lower voice.   
  
Gordon loosened his grip sensing her capitulation to a calmer state of mind. "But I bet it felt good." He said softly looking into her face.   
  
"Yes and no. I had hoped, now that Daddy was gone..." Her voice tailed off as they could hear Charlotte winding herself into hysterics in the other room. "Excuse me." She pulled away from him and ran for the hall. He hesitated a moment and then with a grim look on his face went to find her. She wasn't in the judge's study where a group of lawyers were making inroads into the liquor cabinet. He was passing the downstairs bathroom on his way upstairs when he heard the unmistakable noise of someone being sick. He waited outside the door. Em wouldn't appreciate him watching her toss cookies, or in this case finger sandwiches.  
  
Sure enough, she came out looking altogether too pale and shaken.  
  
"Em?" He put his hand out to touch her and she warded him off.   
  
"Just go away Gordon. Just disappear again, like you did before." She swallowed and glanced back at the toilet as if considering a return engagement.  
  
"Where's your coat? We are leaving, now!" Gordon said decisively. Em looked too damn pale and he felt too mad to do another round with those two wolves in the living room. He felt unbalanced. Everything was happening so fast like a house of cards collapsing around him. He needed to hang on to something. That something was Em.  
  
Em pulled herself up to her full height just coming up to his chin. "Thank you for your concern Mr. Tracy, but I think ..."  
  
"That's always been your weak point Em, you think too much." Gordon said forcefully and repeated. "Your coat Miss Jones?"  
  
The look she gave was mutinous, but she went to get her coat from upstairs while he retrieved his own. He almost missed her going out the backdoor stalking down the street away from the house she had grown up in.  
  
"Hey Em! Wait!" Gordon shucked his jacket on, it was freezing out and from the looks of the leaden sky it was going to snow soon.  
  
He caught up to the redhead as she was fumbling with the keys to an old white van that had "Jones the Plumber" written in bold script on the side. The picture of a fat balding man holding a wrench adorned the side.   
  
"Em, please!" Gordon took her arm as she was fumbling for her keys.  
  
"Gordon..." The look she gave him made his heart thump harder. For the second time that day he kissed her, only this time he knew who he was kissing. He broke off the kiss when he felt her shivering in his arms. It was cold out, but maybe she was shaken by the debacle with her sister, or maybe it was the kiss. He wasn't sure anymore. He wasn't sure of anything to do with Charlotte or Em Jones.  
  
"I'm driving." He said firmly.  
  
"This is a truck." She said faintly, but handed over the keys.  
  
"Don't worry. I've driven bigger vehicles." Gordon gave her a grin thinking of some of International Rescues big equipment.   
  
"I'm sorry Em." He began, starting the van. The heater started blowing hot air into the cab warming the air efficiently.  
  
"For kissing me?"   
  
"No! For this whole situation with Charlotte. Jeez what a mess!" He ran his hand through his hair. "Look Em, can we go somewhere and talk?"  
  
"I got a thirty mile drive home and a septic tank to clean out in the morning. What do you want to talk about?"  
  
"Did you know? About Charlotte and her plans?"   
  
She was silent a moment. "I suspected, but.."  
  
"I wouldn't listen." Gordon interrupted.  
  
"No. What more do you need to know?" Her voice was strained.  
  
Gordon was silent. His brain was moving little pieces into place like a 5,000 piece puzzle. There were still a few pieces missing. "Well, why do you have the picture of a fat balding man on your van?"  
  
"Cause that's what people think Jones the Plumber should look like." She turned to look at him.  
  
"Uh huh." Gordon said and snickered.  
  
Em joined his snicker with hers "Gordon you're an idiot."  
  
"Uh huh." He replied laughing with her. "Now, tell me how to get to your place."  
  



	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20  
  
Em's place turned out to be an old two car garage with a workshop on one side and a place for the van on the other. Her living space above the garage was surprisingly spacious. It had a little utility kitchen and a discrete bathroom in one corner. A futon which was probably her bed as well sat in the middle of the room. In one corner a large familiar looking TV was filled with bright tropical fish and a little fishing boat bobbing on the surface.  
  
"Hey! You finished it!" Gordon shucked off his coat and went to tap on the glass. The fisherman waved a fist at him angrily. "Oh, Em that is priceless! My father would love to see this. How did you..." He stopped and turned seeing her over by the kitchen unit.  
  
"You want some tea before you leave." Her voice was neutral.  
  
"Why didn't you go to university?" Gordon saw her back stiffen and her hands drop to the counter rattling the teapot.  
  
"You, of anyone, should know why." She kept her back to him, but he could see that the hands filling the teapot with water were shaking.   
  
"What did I have to do with you not going to university?" Gordon was a bit peeved. He felt guilty enough already. What more was Em going to lay at his door?  
  
She turned to face him, her face was screwed in anger or was she close to tears?  
  
"Three thousand one hundred and sixty-two dollars. Does that ring a bell Tracy?"   
  
Gordon frowned. "No." Em was really mad, but he couldn't say why. "Stop beating around the bush, Jones" He could get mad too, darn it." Get to the point."  
  
"Do you know how I saved for college? I put every cent that Dad gave me for allowance in my bank account. I bought my clothes at Salvation Army, I cut my own hair. Everyone thought it was just my style. I got used to being weird Martha Jones, sort of. And then it was all gone."  
  
"How? What happened?"  
  
"Charlotte hacked into my bank account and took it for her 'wedding money'."   
  
Gordon felt his shoulders relax minutely. Okay guilt by association, one more thing to make up to Em, but it didn't account for the hate directed at him.  
  
"You could have gotten it back. Told your father, or even the bank."  
  
"I couldn't." She shot back at him angrily  
  
"Your father and his pride, or bringing up criminal charges against your sister?"   
  
"Neither. Charlotte said..." Her face fell suddenly. "And I believed..." She said quietly.   
  
Gordon went to her by the kitchen counter. He put his hands on her shoulders. "What did that toxic toad say? What did you believe?"  
  
"She said you needed it." Her eyes wouldn't meet his.  
  
"And you believed her? You believed I'd take your money, your future away from you?" Gordon shook her angrily.   
  
"Yes! I had to! It made it easier!" She pulled away from him.  
  
"Easier for what?"  
  
"To hate you. I needed to hate you."   
  
"Aw Em." He dropped his hands and walked over to the sofa to sit down heavily. The teapot began to whistle discordantly. They were both quiet as Em made two mugs of tea. She brought him his and prudently retreated back to the kitchen unit.  
  
"We used to be friends Gordon. And then all of a sudden we weren't. You apologized twice for the accident and then dropped me like a dead dodo."  
  
"You started the ugly rumors around school - ah heck!" Gordon slammed his mug down on the table slopping the contents onto his hand. He shook off the hot tea his face twisting with annoyance. "Charlotte.."  
  
"Did you burn yourself?" Em flipped on the faucet and hurrying to Gordon pulled him to the sink and pushed his hand under the running water.  
  
"Yipes! That's cold!" He turned his hand only to have Em's surprisingly strong grip keep it under the running water.  
  
"At least 10 minutes, Flash." She looked into his eyes steadily from about an inch away. "How could you like her, Gordon? Surely you could see beyond that pretty face." she asked suddenly.  
  
"She...she seemed to understand me. Knew how I felt. My deepest feelings. I needed that. I thought I needed her." Gordon shook his head. "I can't believe I was so blind. I'm sorry, Em. About college, about you being hurt...I'm really sorry."  
  
Em shrugged. "I like being a plumber. Things worked out and it's okay."  
  
"C'mon Em you just can't shrug this off."  
  
"Yes I can and so can you. Don't let that heart of flame of yours rule your head."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"I said it's okay."  
  
"What you said about the heart of flame? Em?"  
  
"Well, you always had a spirit that burned so bright," she began.  
  
"That my eyes could not always bear it's light." Gordon finished. "You wrote the poem. The Heart of Flame."  
  
"Where? How did you get it? I never showed it to anyone."   
  
"Charlotte sent it to me. Told me she wrote it for me." Gordon paused. "Was it in your computer? You kept a diary or a journal, right."  
  
"Y-yes."  
  
"Stands to reason that if she cracked your bank code she had access to everything else. Who else knew me as well as you did? We used to talk about everything together."  
  
"I never meant it to be seen, it was just how I felt about...things." Em looked more distressed than when he'd kissed her by mistake at the funeral.  
  
"The woman who wrote this must have loved you very much." Marie's words came to Gordon's mind. A few missing pieces finally fell into place. Em had loved him and he had thought he was in love with Charlotte, who was only a pretty version of Em. Or a fake version of Em.  
  
If there was one thing he'd learned from his time in the WASP's and working for International Rescue it was to consider a situation before leaping in. Well, most of the time, anyway. Gordon felt something turn in his chest as he stood there so close to her that his breath moved little tendrils of red hair across her cheek.  
  
"I was an idiot." He said huskily, "Charlotte was just a imitation of you. I was an idiot." He repeated.  
  
"Yes you were. But she was pretty. I wasn't." Em's reply was spoken firmly, but he could see the fine tremor that shook her.  
  
Gordon's free hand seemed to move of its own volition to stroke her cheek, following the line down to the corner of her mouth. He bent his head closer until their lips were a mere breath apart. He tried to bring his other hand up but was met with iron resistance.  
  
"I was an idiot, too, Gordon. But I'm not one any more." She pulled away from him letting go of the hand under the water.   
  
"I am sorry. I keep saying that and I mean it Em. If there is anyway to make it up to you I will."  
  
"Do you mean that, Gordon? Or is it just words?"   
  
"I think you know me better than that Em." Gordon said quietly.  
  
"All right, there is something you can do." Em was chewing on her thumbnail, a sure sign of distress.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Ask me to marry you."  
  



	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21  
  
Gordon took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Did he trust Em? Was he willing to put himself on the line for her?  
  
"All right." He said evenly. "Do you want me on one knee?"  
  
"If I wanted you on one knee, Flash, I'd kick the other one out from under you. I don't mean a real proposal, just one that looks like we are...hmmm...attatched."  
  
Gordon raised an eyebrow. "Kinky?"  
  
"No!" She went to punch his arm like she did when they were in school and then pulled back with a funny look on her face. "I'm serious Gordon." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  
  
"Daddy was pretty old-fashioned about the role of women. Almost prehistoric in fact, and the provisions in his will in order for me to inherit are difficult. I need to be married or engaged. Engaged will do. After the legalities have cleared then we 'unengage' ourselves. The will says we have to have Thanksgiving dinner together in the tradition of the Jones' household. Then the will will be read and witnessed by the lawyers. That only gives me three weeks to be engaged or married."  
  
"Okay. But what were you going to do before I showed up?" Gordon's quick mind was leaping to many permutations and possibilities for the setup that could prove interesting.  
  
"I would have managed, it would be financially a disaster, but I would manage. I do all right for myself, I have work." She was defensive again.  
  
"Does this involve some payback to Charlotte?"  
  
"Yes." Em admitted. "It will get her where she is most vulnerable, money and her reputation."  
  
"Will it be legal? Not that that ever stopped us before..." Gordon turned off the faucet and inspected his knuckles which were more blue from the cold water than pink from the hot tea.  
  
"I think so. I'm not so sure." She seemed hesitant. "Maybe it's not a good idea after all."  
  
"Since when have Flash and Indiana weaseled out of a tight situation? It's a deal!" He stuck his hand out for a hand shake and was rewarded with her hand in his. It was a beginning.  
  



	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22  
  
As soon as he got back to Tracy Island, Gordon got some wheels turning. Em had outlined the basic plan, but he had a few details to add to make it perfect. It was just as well not to tell Em yet, she would just worry. He certainly wasn't going to tell his family, someone would probably try to talk him out of it.  
  
He made his first phone call. "Lady Penelope? Gordon here. Gordon Tracy. I need a favor….No, it doesn't involve a practical joke on anyone. It is kind of important and ..uh .. you can't tell anyone I asked."  
  
After Gordon outlined his needs he had to endure a lecture from the lady outlining what would happen to him if he used the information the wrong way.  
  
"By the way," Gordon said at the end of the tirade, "How do I initiate an audit of someone?"  
  
"Gordon!" He had to endure another lecture.  
  
Lady Penelope was the easy part of the deal, next was Father and the rest of the family.  
  
Thanksgiving was the Tracy family's most treasured holiday. Gordon had always been the one to flaunt traditions, but even he felt a quiver of trepidation and almost sorrow that he would be deliberately missing it this year.   
  
Luckily, the subject came up naturally at the dinner table.  
  
"So, Marie, do you have any Thanksgiving traditions?" Granny asked.  
  
"Well, let's see, snipe hunt in the morning, rubber boot throwing in the afternoon…just the usual Southern Thanksgiving rites."  
  
"I tole ya hunny, " Virgil drawled in a broad southern accent "Me an' mah brothers done cleared all the snipes off Tracy Island last year."  
  
After the snickers died down, Marie mentioned the usual pumpkin pies and trimmings.   
  
"I ah…need to be somewhere else for Thanksgiving." Gordon said in an overly loud voice. The silence around the table was deafening.  
  
"Now Gordon…" Jeff began.  
  
"You just had some days off." Scott looked suspicious.  
  
"It is a matter of honor."  
  
"It sounds like a girl to me." John said sitting back in his chair with a grin.  
  
"Is it? " Granny looked interested. "How nice Gordon. What's she like?"  
  
"I'm not at liberty to discuss it right now. But it is something I owe someone" He got a mulish look in his face that caused his family to sigh. It was the same mulishness that got Gordon over his accident. It was the same mulishness that made him good at rescues. It was also the same mulishness that sometimes was a pain in the neck for anyone else. Because they loved him they forgave him for it.  
  
"Is this the one we talked about?" Marie asked and wiggled with happiness. She loved happy endings.  
  
"Sort of …I'll explain it all to you later." Gordon said hastily and went back to eating his meal without even making a big show of eating his brussels sprouts which usually invoked a performance worthy of an emotion packed scene from a daytime soap opera.  
  
Whenever possible Gordon called up Em on the vid.   
  
"You sent me flowers and chocolate." Em looked at him accusingly.  
  
"Just taking care of details." Gordon waved a hand expansively. "Details are important. Someone once told me that. I think it had to do with filling the teacher's lounge with ping pong balls when we were sophomores."  
  
"Yeah, but no one is looking." Em looked tired and Gordon thought he saw a bruise on her cheek, though it could be chocolate.   
  
"I leaked the news to the society column of several local newspapers. Did you hurt yourself?" Gordon pointed to his own cheek.  
  
"Number five wrench and don't change the subject. Don't get too carried away by this, it's going to end in a few weeks."   
  
"Sooo, enjoy the chocolates." Gordon said smoothly. He had no intention of letting her go after this, but she wasn't ready to hear it now. Her attitude towards him was cool, but the few kisses he had from her…well he hoped that she still loved him, because he wanted her in his life. If he was honest with himself, he always wanted her in his life. All the chasing after different women was just looking for Em.  
  
"By the way, another little detail I've arranged is an appointment with a hairdresser and a dress shop in town."  
  
Em turned him off. He waited patiently for about ten minutes and called her again.  
  
"You swine." She hissed.  
  
"Tell me you have something in your closet that will put your sister's eyes out and I'll cancel the appointment."   
  
"I have a 'Jones the Plumber' catsuit in pink latex and my old prom dress. Waddaya think?" Em grimaced. "But in the interest of equity and not wanting to look like a frump I accept."  
  
"You were always sensible, dearest." Gordon smiled.  
  
"Dearest?"  
  
"Just practicing. To be sensible." Gordon grinned. "Take care of that cheek, dearest." A satisfying conversation from Gordon's point of view.  
  



	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23  
  
Gordon was packing his Armani suit carefully when Scott came to talk to him.  
  
"You know this is making Father upset, Granny is none too happy either." He began as he watched his younger brother pack. A small velvet box caught his eye. "Gordon, what are you planning? Another runaway marriage?"  
  
"Listen Scott," Gordon began.  
  
"Do you have any idea of what you are getting into?" Scott was angry. Trust Gordon to ruin things. John had been making noises about spending Thanksgiving with someone too. Virgil was so utterly wrapped around Marie that he wasn't any company. It somehow had to be all Gordon's fault.   
  
"Probably not." Gordon replied calmly and eyed two ties critically. "Which one looks best with the dark blue suit?"  
  
"Are you listening to me?" Scott began in his best 'I'm in charge here' voice.  
  
"The gold stripe is probably better than the paisley, more dignified." Gordon said in a satisfied way packing the tie. "I'm not twelve anymore, Scott, nor even eighteen. Just because you don't have a love life doesn't mean no one else can."  
  
"Fine. Mess up your life again! Just don't let it destroy International Rescue" With that rejoinder Scott stalked out of his younger brother's room.  
  
"I'm trying to clean up the mess.." Gordon explained to his brother's retreating back.  
  
Scott went out on the balcony to cool off. "What am I doing wrong?" He asked himself. "What's wrong with everyone?"  
  
Lady Penelope and her fashionable connections had worked wonders. A beautifully coifed and dressed Em Jones greeted him at the door to her garage flat when he came to pick her up. Gordon was impressed. Mind you, he thought she looked pretty fetching in dirty overalls.  
  
"You look beautiful." He leaned forwards for a kiss that she avoided stepping back.  
  
"We aren't there yet."  
  
"Just practicing." He grinned. Her hair was piled in artfully arranged curls on the top of her head and the simple sheath dress in shades of blue did her all the justice in the world. Her bitten nails had been fixed and her make-up was subtle and attractive. He caught sight of a ring on her finger.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Oh a ring. I figure we would need one. I machined a copper washer down." She held it out proudly. He took it and turned it around in his hands. It was a nice piece of junk. He tossed it over his shoulder.  
  
"Hey! That took me two hours to do!"  
  
"This one is better and more believable. Plus it won't turn your finger green." Gordon took the small velvet box out of his pocket snapped it open and slid the ring on her finger in one smooth move.  
  
"Gordon!" She held up her hand to admire the ring which was entwined silver and a very bright yellow metal." Is it real?"  
  
He shrugged. "I figured you wouldn't like diamonds or glitzy things.  
  
"Nah. I pick too many diamond rings out of kitchen sink traps than you would believe. What's this yellow metal?"  
  
"Not too sure, the rest is platinum." Gordon wasn't too sure what the yellow stuff really was, only Brains knew what the super hard metal that coated Thunderbird 4 consisted of. It took him three days to incorporate that important bit of his life into the ring. The inscription inside was pretty good too, if he said so himself.  
  
"Oh. All right. I suppose it is okay." She took a deep breath. "Shall we go, dear?"  
  
"You've been practicing, too." He said offering her his arm.  
  
"Details, Flash. All success is dependent on details."  
  
Judge Jones' house hadn't changed much in the past three weeks. The people gathered looked just as dour and unhappy. Now they were being forced to eat Thanksgiving dinner with strangers. There were less than at the funeral, but they made up for it by long periods of silence. Charlotte was alone. Hopefully it had to do with the audit her partner, Oliver, was facing. Gordon smiled at the thought. Charlotte smiled back at him. She had changed her hair to what Gordon assumed was her original hair color. Now, she looked like she had in high school. Matter of fact Charlotte and Em both looked surprisingly alike, like sisters. They were both very attractive women. Charlotte was being charming and witty. Em was quiet, but was able to keep up her end of the double barbed conversations. Only the tight grip on his arm betrayed any agitation.   
  
They all made a quick end to the exquisitely served tasteless meal.   
  
"I need to go out to the kitchen for a smoke." Gordon announced before the formalities began. "Come with me dearest?" He held out his hand for Em.  
  
Even before the kitchen door closed on them. Em hissed at him.. "You don't smoke."  
  
"Sure I do. It is coming out of my ears can't you tell? Your sister..."  
  
"I know. Kind of scary that we share the same genes." Em shivered. Looking out the window she saw snowflakes began dribbling down out of the sky.  
  
"Looks like a big storm coming."  
  
"Uh huh." Gordon pulled her into his arms and kissed her. He kissed her until he felt her kiss him back. They came up for air and then kissed each other again. "Is someone watching?" Em breathed into his ear. "Who cares?" Gordon answered as he nibbled on her own ear in return "Oh?" Em protested but pulled his head down for very satisfying kiss. When they both came inside again Em's hair-do was drifting to one side and Gordon was tucking in his shirt. Both turned bright red at the stares they got.  
  
"Now. To the terms of the will of Malachi Jones...." The lawyer's voice droned on through the wherewithals and heretobefors and legal jargon. The judge's secretary received a rather large bequeath which made her happy.   
  
"And now to my daughters Martha and Charlotte. I leave the house and all it's contents to my oldest daughter Martha. It is hoped that she will learn to appreciate the home she was brought up in. My youngest daughter, Charlotte, will inherit her mother's jewelry."  
  
Em rested her head in her hands. Gordon rubbed her back slowly. "It's okay dear." He whispered.  
  
The lawyer coughed. "There is a condition to the inheritance which it has been left to our discretion to fulfill. He waved his hand to the two other lawyers who nodded. "If either one of you is married or engaged their inheritance devolves on the other sister. If you both are married or engaged then the property will be held in trust for the first grandchild.  
  
"I broke up with Oliver two weeks ago." Charlotte said smugly.  
  
Em's shoulders were shaking and Gordon was vainly trying to comfort her. "It's all right, dear. I'll take care of you."  
  
"Yes. Well that was Malachi's reasoning. A husband would care for his wife, she didn't need anything from him." The lawyer looked satisfied. "So, you don't deny your status as engaged?" He asked Em.  
  
"N-n-no. I love Gordon." She had her face half buried in his chest. "Charlotte deserves the house and the jewelry." If the last phrase was a little too forceful no one noticed it except Gordon.  
  
"I think we have heard all we need to hear." Gordon said standing up.  
  
"We just need Miss Martha Jones' and Miss Charlotte Jones' signature on the agreement to the will." The lawyers slid a pile of papers in front of them. The two girls started signing.   
  
"You always were a fool." Charlotte hissed at her.  
  
"Maybe. Enjoy your inheritance, Charlotte. I will enjoy mine." There was strangely, no trace of tears on Em's face.  
  
"But you got nothing!"  
  
"Did I?" Em turned and gave a brilliant smile to Gordon who escorted her out of the room and out of the house.  
  
Gordon leaned over to give her a kiss on the mouth before starting the car. "I thought you were going to lose it there for a moment. You were laughing." He added in a accusative tone.  
  
"I'm out of practice. I haven't pulled a stunt like that in years."  
  
"Honey, no one has pulled a stunt like we have." He said admiringly.  
  
"Charlotte has bats in the belfry." Em said with a little giggle.  
  
"And ants in the pantry." Gordon replied.  
  
"Mice in the study."  
  
"Dry rot in the walls."  
  
"Not to speak of the termites and the state of the plumbing. My God, Gordon, it will cost her a fortune to fix up the house. No one will buy it in that condition and even living in it would be horrible."  
  
"So, you're happy to see the last of it?" It had seemed a little unreal to him that Em didn't want the inheritance from her father, but when she had outlined the physical problems entailed with owning the home he was happy to fall in with her plans. Mind you he had his own agenda also.  
  
"Good Heavens, yes! I suppose I could have fixed it up myself, but it was never a place that I felt happy in. It was just a house." Em sighed deeply. "Thank you for your help. I appreciate it." She fiddled with the ring on her finger.   
  
"No problem. That's what friends are for. What about your mother's jewelry?"  
  
"Most of it is paste. Daddy was never generous with gee-gaws. Anyway can you see me dripping with diamonds while I'm unclogging a toilet?"  
  
Gordon caught her a quick glance and grinned. "Sure, doesn't everyone? Let's go home."  
  



	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24  
  
Gordon breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the truck stop shining like a lighthouse beacon through the thickly falling snow. He expertly controlled the car as it fishtailed into the parking lot.   
  
"Why are we stopping?" Em looked pale in the uncertain light of the flashing neon sign advertising 'The Dew Drop Inn'. As the euphoria of their little scam died away she had become more and more quiet, often fiddling with the ring on her finger.  
  
"Get some coffee. Have a talk. Stretch a little."  
  
"Don't you have to leave soon?" Her voice sounded a little plaintive.  
  
"The weather is a bit dicey for flying in. I'll call Father when I get to your place."  
  
The hot air of the coffee shop hit them like a welcoming blast as they walked in. Snow started melting off of them, so that when they slid into the small booth they both looked like half drowned cats. The waitress thoughtfully brought over a towel and two menus.   
  
"I'll be back in half a mo' with some coffee. 'Kay?" She went over to exchange some words with a long range trucker who was leaving. "Drive carefully Pat!"  
  
"Don' I always darlin'?" The trucker turned up his coat collar and dashed into the storm.  
  
Gordon had taken the towel from Em's hands and was vigorously drying her hair.  
  
"Hey! Careful!" Her protests were muffled by the towel. The result was a spiky, tangled mass. Gordon applied the towel just as energetically to his own red mop as hers. He grinned as she tried to finger comb it back into the smooth elegance it had been earlier.   
  
"Lord, I look like something the dog drug in." she mourned, looking at her uncertain reflection in the window darkened by the storm.  
  
"I like you ruffled." Gordon smiled and leaned over the table for quick kiss on the cheek just as the waitress came with two hot steaming cups of coffee. The waitress smiled wryly, truckers and traveling salesmen were more usual customers, young lovers tended to stop at more romantic places.  
  
Em felt the heat rush to her cheeks and she took a quick sip of the coffee to hide her reaction. Gordon had certainly kissed her a lot today, all in the game of appearing to the lawyers and Charlotte that they were engaged and in love, but that quick one to the cheek left her - confused.  
  
"I think a good bowl of hot soup and lots of crackers would do us a world of good. "Gordon announced. "Same for you, dear one?"   
  
Em practically choked on a gulp of hot coffee. "Gordon!" she hissed at him.  
  
"Of course, if you want something else?" He put that so puppy dog, trying hard to please expression on his face.   
  
"Two soups with crackers?" The waitress' pen poised over her data pad.   
  
"Yes, please." Em managed and shot her friend a poisonous look.  
  
"What? If you didn't want soup, why not say so?" He made as if to call the waitress back.  
  
"It's fine." She pulled his arm down. "Lord, Gordon, you are impossible at times."  
  
"I know." He sighed theatrically and took her hand in his. It was a worn and calloused hand. He turned it over and ran his own work roughened fingers over the burn scar on her wrist. He didn't release it right away.  
  
"For this, I am sorry."   
  
"It was just an accident Gordon."  
  
"It was my fault." He said mulishly.  
  
Em recognized the finality to his tone of voice. Gordon was mostly easy going, but when he got stubborn there was no shifting him.  
  
"Okay. It was your fault," She pulled her hand gently and he gave it up rather reluctantly. "And I forgive you."  
  
"Maybe you do, maybe you don't." he said enigmatically and leaned back in his seat.  
  
"I do. I do! Dang it Gordon. What do I have to do to..." She stopped suddenly as the red headed young man slid out of his seat knelt on the floor in front of her.  
  
"Be my girl, Em."  
  
"Gordon!"  
  
"I want you to be in love with me again." He said louder. "Then I know you will have forgiven me for all this - mess." He took both of her hands in his and kissed the burn scar tenderly. "Please Em." he repeated huskily his eyes on her.  
  
The waitress had come with their two bowls of soup and was waiting patiently to serve them.  
"If you like your soup hot, honey, I suggest you give him an answer."  
  
"I...you..." Em stuttered. A million reasons why to say 'no' rushed through her brain. There was only one good reason to say yes. She looked into his eyes and saw that one same reason there.  
  
"Yes." She said with finality and a great deal of inner relief.  
  
The announcement was greeted with a scattering of applause from the customers of the   
coffee shop.  
  
"That's a good one you got there." The waitress whispered to Em as she placed the soup in front of her.  
  
"Yes. I know." Em winked at Gordon who winked back.  
  
They ate the meal in a silence filled with quiet messages of looks and the brushing of hands across the table. The words would come later. Not surprisingly enough, the waitress announced that the meal was on the house.  
  
One of the truckers had gone out earlier and swept the accumulated snow off their car, so they didn't get too cold or wet before starting out.   
  
Driving was beastly. The snow was driving down so furiously that it was impossible for Gordon to use the high beams. Wind gusts seem to come out of nowhere rocking even the sturdy frame of the car. Frankly, it was no worse than some of the other conditions he and his brothers drove, rode, or flew through for International Rescue. At least he wasn't dangling at the end of a hawser in this mess.  
  
"If it gets too rough..." Em ventured, not wanting to impinge on his concentration. The weather was terrible.  
  
"I think we can make it home." Gordon spared her a glance.  
  
"I meant I could drive. I'm used to this kind of stuff. Pipes always burst in winter."   
  
Gordon took a deep breath. Em wasn't a fluffy dependent female, she'd always kept up with him, even led the way at times. She was his partner, his pal, and maybe much more. "Thanks. I'll let you know."  
  
The accident was already unfolding a mere hundred yards in front of them.   
  



	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25  
  
Pat had been driving the big ones for years. He knew the roads like the back of his hand. This little blow up should prove no problem as long as he took it easy. He corrected gently as he felt the wheels slip and catch again. He wasn't going anywhere fast, but he would get there.  
  
Heavy metal music poured out of the expensive stereo system of young man's car. He enjoyed the dip and sway of the car as it slid around the road. This was as fun as a roller coaster ride. He easily caught up to the truck which was going all too slow for the beat of his music. He decided to pass.  
  
Pat cursed as he saw the lights of the sedan come up the side of the truck. He peered up ahead and prayed that there was no ongoing traffic coming. He was dismayed to see a flicker of light coming and he slowed down edging towards the side of the road. The back trailer caught momentarily in soft snow drift. Pat compensated, but the truck continued sliding folding itself across the road. The young man and his car were batted like a golf ball across the road and ended up spinning crazily into fence. The car in the oncoming lane slammed into the side of the truck collapsing like an accordion.  
  
They came on the site suddenly. The large truck was spilled across the road. Skewed lights and dark shadows met them. Gordon's excellent reflexes and experience saved them. He tapped the car into a skid bringing them to a halt with the back of their car shoved under the truck.  
  
The airbags had saved them from most of the potential damage.  
  
"Call for help. And wait in the car!" Gordon ordered and was out and sprinting over to the truck to assess the damage.  
  
Em did as was ordered - almost. After making a call to the emergency number, she flicked on the car's emergency lights and set out to help Gordon. She saw Gordon climb up the side of the truck and disappear into the cab. She ducked under the trailer to find the remains of sedan that was crushed into an unrecognizable mass. She swallowed convulsively as she saw the decapitated mess that had been the driver of that vehicle. No one else seemed to be in the car. The truck body shrieked over the wind and listed a few more inches. She'd better warn Gordy. Just as she was rounding to the other side of the truck a lull in the wind carried a strange sound to her. It sounded like an over excited heartbeat amplified a thousand fold. The wind then howled around her again. Or was it wind? She followed her senses and came across a car half buried in the snow. Loud music was muffling the sounds of the driver screaming and cursing.   
  
She looked around quickly and found a large portion of the battered fence nearby. It was heavy and slick with snow and ice. She dropped it several times gouging her hands with splinters before she got it hefted through the passenger side window to break it out.  
  
"Just take it easy. No need to panic." She shouted over the music. "Can you turn that thing off?"  
  
"Oh God, help me. Don't leave me here!" The man was hysterical and hyperventilating.   
  
"I need to get help." Em wasn't about to move the man on her own and if he had the energy for screaming and carrying on he surely wasn't that badly hurt - she hoped. She ventured a pat on his arm, which was a major mistake. He grabbed her hand with the strength of a drowning victim and pulled her across the shards of safety glass towards him. Safety glass or super strong plexi didn't cut, but it could gouge.   
  
Em Jones was strong. You don't handle rusted fittings and heavy tools with mere finesse. It took muscles. She should have been able to pull herself free from the victim, but she had not counted on the strength of desperation. Gordon, or any other of the Tracys could have told her their own experiences, but she had no idea of that side of their lives. Not even her lively imagination would link the Tracy family to International Rescue.  
  
Her own desperation about Gordon fueled enough strength for her to wrest her arm free from the clinging man. She ignored the bloody scrapes left by the glass and his fingers. The faint wail of sirens lifted over the breeze as she moved with almost a slow motion quality towards the big truck. A tricky patch of snow sent her skidding to her knees.  
  
Gordon found the driver unhurt, but in a deep state of shock. He had to literally pry the man's fingers off the steering wheel, even breaking one in the process. Gordon had felt the tremors in the cab and knew that there was a good chance of the whole truck going over.  
  
"Pat?" Gordon remembered the man from the truck stop.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"C'mon buddy, give me a hand here." Gordon coaxed.  
  
"I musta killed the guy." Pat muttered and peered into the darkness as if seeking for answers.  
  
"We are getting you out first, then I'll see about the others." Gordon had seen at a glance that the car jammed under the truck hadn't a chance. Thank heavens Em was in the car. He didn't want her to see that grizzly sight.  
  
The truck gave a startling groan and started to shift. In the wrong direction!  
  
"She's going over." Pat whispered and was suddenly very cooperative to get out of the cab. He scrambled down. Gordon was then very aware that the truck was going to land on his car, with Em waiting in it.   
  
He scrambled to the driver's side to wrench open the door. He had to get to her. The door resisted. He had to get out. He braced both legs against the door and kicked just as the truck gave an ear shattering squeal of tortured metal and plastics and flopped on it's side raising a mini tidal wave of snow.   
  
"Emmm!" And it became very dark and very quiet and very - still.  
  



	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26  
  
Nurse Morton eyed the readouts from the bank of instruments that efficiently monitored her patient. Medical science had progressed in the last thirty years by leaps and bounds with nano technological precision. Every breath, every pulse, every firing synapse was measured and calculated to the inth degree. But Adele Morton was a trauma nursing specialist and a mother. She knew that the best thing for young Gordon Tracy was the woman who sat by his side whispering to him and holding his uninjured hand. She would have the rest of the nurses work around the patient's wife, for she seemed more vital to his recovery than any beeping, laser light equipped monitor.  
  
"Mrs. Tracy? Do you have anyone you can call?" Morton eyed the young woman with a sympathetic, but professional eye. Mrs. Tracy had been reluctantly treated in the ER for various bruises, scrapes and some nasty cuts on her forearms from broken glass. She had been a calm almost placid patient until she marched into the ICU to seek out her husband. The ICU staff had plenty of experience with the relatives and friends of their patients. Reactions varied from out and out hysteria to almost catatonic numbness. Martha Tracy had been frightened, but kept that fear well in check. Her only emotion seemed to be the nervous fiddling with her wedding ring. Adele would eat her stethoscope if the couple had been married for more than a year. The doctor had gone through most of his mumbo jumbo about the medical side.   
  
"His arm and shoulder has been fractured in several places. We've pinned them together, and with physiotherapy should be no problems. However, " He paused to look at the young woman., "The damage to the head and neck are more serious. There are lesions from an older injury that have been aggravated by Mr. Tracy's injuries."  
  
"The chicken coop." The red-haired woman muttered softly. "He fell off the roof, sort of." Gordon had almost killed himself and did end up with badly torn back and a dislocated thumb. His swim coach had been furious, but the joke had seemed worth it. More guilt settled in on her.  
  
The doctor frowned, that must have been a hell of a chicken coop Tracy's back looked like a interstate freeway junction. "Right now," he continued. "We can only keep monitoring and wait for him to wake up."  
  
"We have a lounge just down the hall..." Adele Morton said helpfully and half hopefully.  
  
"I'm staying here. With Gordon. Until he wakes up."   
  
"We'll see." the doctor looked at the nurse who gave a slight nod. Despite technical advances, fatalities had slowly climbed in Intensive Care patients over the last decade. Researchers had finally hit on the fact that too many machines and lack of human contact could be just as deadly as an fatal injury, an infection, or any other hazard facing a desperately ill person. Nurses and doctors were encouraged to touch and speak to their patients. Family who could endure the heartache and not get in the staff's way were also persuaded to 'help' out. Mrs. Tracy could stay, for the time being.   
  
"Mrs. Tracy?" Nurse Morton repeated her question. "Do you have someone you can call?"  
  
"Oh, ah yes, I should call Gordon's family..." Her voice trailed off unhappily. "They'll want to be with Gordon. They are very close."  
  
"What about your family?"  
  
Em looked at the man who was always so lively and bouncy. To see him lying there, so still broke her heart. "Gordon is all I have." She said softly.  
  
"Surely they will be glad to see you are all right?"  
  
"Uh huh." Em said noncommittally. "Is there a vidphone I can use?"  
  
"In the lounge, just down the hall. I'll stay here with Mr. Tracy while you call." The nurse offered.  
  
"I'll be right back Flash. No falling over chicken coops, okay?" she lightly touched his eyebrow which was the only part of his face not disfigured by heavy bruising, abrasions, and bandages.   
  
Em hadn't corrected the doctors when they called her Mrs. Tracy. If the small lie kept her by Gordon's side she wasn't going to disillusion them. But she wasn't about to lie to Gordon's father. She had too much respect and awe for the man that had taken on her father in her defense. But. she was scared of him, too, especially after Charlotte had made such a mess of things. He probably would object to her out of hand. Guilt by association her father would call it.  
  
Tracy Industries had all the latest hardware and software that any large growing multinational firm could afford. Electronic postal sorting, automated scanners, spam sorters against the odd junk mail that managed to breech the mighty secure walls of the Tracy organization. And a inter industry telephone and vid service that rivaled Ma Bell. Mr. Tracy treated his liveware with as much consideration. He let the staff have the Thanksgiving holiday free. If anyone knew the importance of family it was Jeff Tracy. So, there was no one but machines to hear the first of many messages that Em Jones left to them.  
  
"At the sound of the tone please leave a message. Our staff will get right back to you. Happy Holidays!" The mechanical tone cheerfully informed her. A Norman Rockwell painting of a pre technology era Thanksgiving family scene graced the vid.  
  
"This is Em er Martha Jones, I don't know if you remember me. I knew Gordon in high school." She took a deep breath. "There has been an accident and Gordon is hurt. He is alive...but...ah maybe it is best if you come. Please contact the County Central Hospital in Millerton."  
  
Em grimaced some three hours later at the vid. Rockwell had been replaced by an overflowing cornucopia.   
  
"At the sound of the tone please leave a message. Our staff will get right back to you. Happy Holidays!"   
  
"I hoped you would call...I suppose you are on your way. Gordon is still unconscious, but the doctors are hopeful. I'm sorry." she blurted out. "I - I have to get back. Uh bye."  
  
"At the sound of the tone please leave a message. Our staff will get right back to you. Happy Holidays!" Em didn't even bother looking at the blur of color on the vidscreen. She had been coaxed by the ICU staff to take a break from her vigil. She had tried to sleep, but the thought of Gordon lying all alone in the hospital bed had got her up and at his side after only half an hour. Had things changed so much in the Tracy family that they didn't care anymore? It had been over 24 hours since they were admitted to the hospital.   
  
"I am sorry Mr. Tracy. It is my fault. I got Gordon mixed up with my own problems. And then there was the chicken coop that made things worse. And...and...I wish..." She stopped. "Gordon needs you. Not me It was just silly of me to even think...I'm sorry." She snuffled back the tears. Later, she would cry later.  
  



	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27  
  
In the Tracy household the family was scattered through the house spending a little time to digest their dinner. Even the day after Thanksgiving was a feast with so much food and leftovers.  
  
"It just isn't like him." Alan told Tin Tin. "Gordon felt bad enough missing Thanksgiving dinner. He wouldn't be late coming home."  
  
"Unless someone distracted him." Tin Tin remarked wondering if she could distract Alan long enough to stop worrying about his brother. She snuggled up closer to him on the sofa. He took the hint.  
  
"Sure he's hot-headed and all, but there is no one I trust more than Gordon." John considered his chess move carefully. International Rescue was on automatic mode for the week-end so the family could be together, only Gordon was missing.  
  
"He's a good kid." Virgil was thinking ahead about four moves. "Not like him not to call in if he was going to be late."  
  
"No way on earth would that boy pass up on a piece of my super chocolate mousse cake." Granny said with finality, serving up a generous piece of said dessert to Kyrano.  
  
"I agree dear lady. This is most delicious. And I have never known Master Gordon to miss a meal."  
  
"M-much less a d-dessert l-like this!" Brains chimed in over his large helping of the chocolate confection.  
  
"He had a ring with him." Scott said distantly. "Maybe he's getting married." He carefully dried one of Granny's prize serving dishes.  
  
"He wouldn't do it without letting you all know, would he?" Marie washed out the gravy boat. It wouldn't do to put the good china in the dishwasher. She and Scott had volunteered for KP.  
  
Jeff Tracy stood on the balcony and enjoyed the quiet and the view. Maybe it was a bit too quiet. An involuntary shiver went up his spine.  
  
"What is it Jeff?" Penelope came to stand next to him.  
  
"Oh just one of those little shivers you get. Nice of you to join us." He smiled at the gracious blonde.  
  
"Oh, I love a chance to visit here Jeff. Besides which I can't wait to hear what Gordon is up to. Isn't he due back soon?"  
  
"He's late. So, did he give you any clues?"  
  
"Remarkably tight mouthed for Gordon. He only wanted me to set up a hairdresser and a fine dress for someone."  
  
"Mention any names?"  
  
"Not a breath." Penelope laughed lightly, "But I take it she is a redhead and from where you used to live."  
  
"Oh Blast!" Jeff said angrily. "Charlotte Jones. If she had got her claws into him again..."  
  
"Surely it isn't that bad Jeff. Gordon seemed very enthusiastic." Penelope protested.  
  
"Oh, you don't know the half of what that young lady is like." Jeff seethed. "Not only did she talk him to eloping, but it was only for her own gain. I never told him about that." He added in a low voice.  
  
"People do change and Gordon sounded so happy. I can't see him making the same mistake twice." Penelope mused.  
  
"I told him never to let go if you found someone to love." Virgil had joined them on the balcony.  
  
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Jeff raised an eyebrow at his son.  
  
"It makes me feel better." Marie retorted and wound her arms around her husband's waist. "She couldn't have been that bad."  
  
"She was." Jeff pinched the bridge of his nose. "When Gordon had his accident and was in a coma. I called her. I thought maybe he would wake up - for her."  
  
"But she never came!" Scott added.  
  
"I wouldn't pay her price." Jeff said glumly. "Luckily Gordon came out of it soon after. I hope to God he isn't involved with her again. It will cost us all dearly."  
  
"Now Jeff, Gordon can take care of himself. Stop worrying and come in for some of my mousse cake before Kyrano and Brains eat it all." Jeff's mother chided him from the doorway.  
  
"Mousse cake! You left mousse cake alone with those two?" Jeff lightened the mood with a mock roar. "Boys we have a rescue mission."  
  
"Yeah! Rescue the cake!" Virgil shouted and slung his wife over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. "Women and their husband's first!"  
  



	29. Chapter 28

Chapter 28  
  
Gordon was finally waking up. It started with a twitch of his fingers and progressed rapidly to his eyes opening briefly and him trying to move. The doctor was feeling more optimistic as was Em. Finally, Nurse Morton talked the young woman into taking more than a two hour nap as the vigil by Gordon's bedside began to take his toll.  
  
His head hurt. Matter of fact he hurt all over. That was good. He cautiously began testing each limb to make sure that he wasn't paralyzed again. The annoying beep of machines began to bother him especially as they were going faster.  
  
"Mr. Tracy? Gordon? Can you open your eyes?"  
  
He pried open eyes that seemed to weigh at least one pound each and were glued together with spit and sand. A face seemed to waver over him. His mind began to grasp at details. Nasty smell. Hospital. Hurt. Hospital. Nurse. Hospital. Hospital. Hell. He closed his eyes again and then wrenched them open. Em! Em!  
  
"Ahhhmmmmmm." the patient groaned. "Errrrrmmmm." His eyes were darting around the room, unable to focus properly.  
  
"I'll go get the doctor, and your wife. She will be glad to see you awake." Nurse Morton said cheerfully.  
  
Oh God no! Not Charlotte! Gordon thought muzzily. She must have come here which meant that Em...Em had to be dead. "Noooo." he whispered and it was easy to slip away into the dark.  
  
He struggled against the ropes that bound him to the cold wall of the cave. His captor chortled.  
  
"That won't help you." He twiddled his long drooping mustache.  
  
"Ming of Mong!" Gordon recognized the archvillian immediately. "Flash Gordon will defeat you. He always does."  
  
The evil villain hissed theatrically and raised a sleeve to hide his face. "Not if he doesn't know it's me!" A cloud of antiseptic smelling smoke filled the cave and he was confronted by a large over dressed dragon wearing an appalling amount of jewelry. Most of which appeared to be paste and copper as it's scales were an unhealthy green tinge. It was a fire breathing dragon as it carelessly lit up a cigarette with a puff from a wide nostril and settled down for a casual smoke.  
  
"You won't get away with this." Gordon strained against the restricting ropes.  
  
Gordon moaned and moved restlessly. Em was trying to hold his uninjured hand, but he pulled it out of her grip. "Get away.." he muttered.  
  
"Gordon...dear..." Em again found herself close to tears. She sniffled and stroked his cheek gently.  
  
"My dear..." The dragon purred, blowing smoke rings to the ceiling, "Can't you come up with more original lines? Or something more - recent?"  
  
"This town isn't big enough for the two of us?" Gordon eyed the dragon. It was rather skinny for a dragon. They were in a cave that was furnished in Early Salvation Army and rocks kept falling down. Gordon tried to duck as a small landslide made for him.  
"Hey your house is falling down!" He yelled.  
  
"Whaaat?" The dragon belched a cloud of overheated steam and picked at one of the walls causing it to cave in." It can't be..." the dragon muttered. "I just bought it." A small family of mice were jumping up and down and squeaking in panic as their home crumbled. Gordon wasn't terribly surprised to see a blue rat wearing an International Rescue hat leading the rest of the mice to safety.  
  
An annoying beeping noise from one of the many machines hooked up to Gordon Tracy brought Em Jones to her feet in terror.  
  
"Gordon!" she cried.  
  
"Zo Flash Gordon, you tink that you and Indiana Jones can fool us about the location of the treasure, eh?" The dragon had changed it's scales and was now parading about in an old WWII German uniform. It kept its long tail however which kept getting in the way of the parade stomping around.  
  
" What do I have that you want?"  
  
"Give me what you hold closest to your heart." The tail twitched violently knocking over a few priceless looking ornaments and an old Coca-Cola automat. Bottles started rolling around on the floor.  
  
"Thunderbird 4?"  
  
"No you twit, Indiana Jones .Tell me where you have hidden her!"  
  
"Never! I'll never tell you."  
  
"We haf ways of making you talk."  
  
"And you complain about my clichés. I think you're crazy..."  
  
The German officer had long red nails that dug into his throat cutting off his air. "I'll make you live in the house with the mice and the termites. It will serve you right." The laugh turned into a long annoying overly high pitched screech.  
  
Beeeep BEEEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEEE......  
  
Doctors and nurses came running into the room.  
  
Piiip Piiiip PIIIIP  
  
Jeff started out of a sound sleep. He was lying on his bed in his robe, a half read book on his chest. He was hoping to hear from his errant son. He was rapidly going beyond the stage of anger to one of worry. The noise that woke him was the vidphone.  
  
"Gordon!" He began as he flicked it on. "Oh, sorry Mrs.Pearson. I thought Gordon was calling." He smiled wearily at his secretary. "What are you doing in on..." He consulted his watch, "Sunday?"  
  
"Escaping football, but I'm sorry to call you so late Mr.Tracy. I came in to do some work and found several urgent messages on the answering machine. Your son Gordon has been in an accident!"  
  
"Where? When?"  
  
"The young lady called in the first time on Thanksgiving Evening. She has left about five messages...I don't remember if she said her name, but she was a pretty redhead..." Mrs. Pearson's voice trailed off uncertainly. "Luckily I came in, you wouldn't have heard for another 24 hours! County General Hospital in Millerton, New Hampshire." She added, seeing the distress on her boss' face.  
  
"That's about 20 miles from where we used to live..." Jeff growled. "Charlotte" He muttered under his breath. "Thank you Mrs. Pearson. I'll take over from here."  
  
Jeff Tracy took a deep breath and started dressing. He should have trusted his instincts that something was wrong, especially when it looked like Charlotte Jones had entered their lives again.  
  
He went and tapped on Scott's door. A light sleeper, Scott woke up quickly.  
  
"What is it Father? I didn't hear the call out for International Rescue."  
  
" Gordon has been in an accident. I need you to be here to run things."  
  
Scott was throwing on clothes as his father explained what little he knew. "You want Virgil to fly you?"  
  
"No son, I think he would be better off here. I'll take Alan."  
  
"What about Granny?"  
  
"She'll kill me for not taking her, but if it is for nothing I don't want her there."  
  
"And if it is bad?" Scott asked quietly.  
  
"Then all of you will come." Jeff paused. "It couldn't happen twice." His mind obviously on the accident that had almost taken Gordon from them. "I'll go prep the jet. You go wake up Alan."  
  
"Right Father."  
  



	30. Chapter 29, 30 , and epilogue

**Chapter 29**

Jeff Tracy rotated his shoulders as he strode through the hospital corridors. Superb pilot that he was, landing the Tracy jet in the middle of a raging snowstorm wasn't the easiest thing in the world. It had actually taken both his and Alan's hands on the yokes to keep the small jet from doing cartwheels down the runway. As it was they did a few spectacular 360's on the runway before rolling to a stop. It almost took them as long to drive the 10 miles to the hospital as it did to fly from home to the mainland.

"Gordon Tracy. I'm his father." Jeff said with quiet authority to the nurse on duty.

"Room 204..." she began, and then noticed she was speaking to the man's back. The young blond following him shot her a quick smile and followed on the abrupt man's heels.

Jeff Tracy pushed the door open of the room. He took in two steps and stopped. He took in a deep breath. It wasn't that long ago that he stepped into an ICU to see Gordon's broken body. He let out his breath in a relieved hiss. Despite heavy bandages on his arm and torso and some rakishly placed butterfly bandages on his face, Gordon was only hooked up to an IV and a heart monitor beeped regularily in the background. As if expecting company, the patient moved restlessly.

Alan's hand on his shoulder gently reminded Jeff of his other son's presence. He came closer to Gordon's side.

"Mmmm..." Gordon groaned and tried to blink.

"Gordon? Son?" Jeff leaned over the restless young man and took his hand in his. Alan went to stand at the foot of his brother's bed.

"F-fath -er?" The golden eyes lit up in recognition. "Wha..."

"You were in an accident." Alan read his brother's confusion correctly.

"Oh..."Gordon's brows furrowed and he winced in pain as cuts pulled uncomfortably. "Truck...I...." His eyes closed and a tear wandered down his cheek.

"We know about, " Jeff couldn't put his tongue around the name. "Your...wife."

"Oh man Gordo." Alan breathed.

"You...have...no..." Gordon said with growing strength, "...right..."

"Gordon." Jeff began sternly.

"She's dead." Gordon interrupted him and another tear dribbled down his cheek.

Em splashed more water on her face and faced the mirror warily. Dark circles surrounded eyes red from crying and lack of sleep. Her hair hung limply around a pale face. The fashionable dress was mere rags underneath the green doctor's scrub shirt she was given. A quick finger comb was all she allowed herself. Taking a deep breath she stepped into out into the hall to go back to Gordon's room. The doctor seemed sure that her young man would be waking up soon.

She walked in on two men with Gordon. Her sleep deprived mind thought that they were doctors.

"Uh oh sorry...I..." she went to back out of the room.

Jeff Tracy turned and saw the redhead standing diffidently by the door. "You!" He snarled and stood defensively in front of his son.

"Who?" Gordon asked weakly.

"Gordon?" Em stepped forwards.

She was blocked by Alan who decided to run interference. "Hold it Charlotte."

. "Charlotte?" She spun around to look behind herself. "Where?" She turned back in confusion when there was no one there.

"Charlotte?" Gordon echoed his sight blocked by the broad back of his father.

Jeff took a step forwards and then cocked his head in confusion. "Charlotte...no...you..."

Em Jones swayed on her feet. "Mr. T...and my God! Big, big Al." She stared up at the strapping 6 footer.

"Em!" Gordon yelled weakly from the bed and made a good effort to get up.

"Martha?" Jeff had one hand on his struggling son and another towards the pale redhead. "Alan." he warned.

"Got her." Alan had seen what little color disappear from the young woman's face and with practiced ease caught her as she fainted in front of him. "Em Jones. Well, brother looks like you finally got the right sister."

**Chapter 30**

Em was ensconsed in a chair next to Gordon's bed. She was sipping a cup of hot soup under the stern supervision of Jeff Tracy. Gordon had his eyes fixed on her. Jeff and Alan were also sitting in chairs next to her and the bed.

"You disobeyed my orders." Gordon's voice was stern. His free hand gave a gentle tap on her arm.

Alan hid a small smile behind his hand. Gordon sounded just like Father or even Scott. It was almost scary.

Em shrugged. "Just as well I didn't stay in the car. Under the circumstances, I did what was best." She darted a quick look to Jeff Tracy. "Right Mr. Tracy?"

"Don't pull me into this." Jeff raised his hands in defense.

"C'mere." Gordon beckoned the redhead closer.

Em warily put the cup on the bedside table and leaned closer to Gordon. He pulled her into a kiss. "And that is for getting out of the car." He said huskily.

"So. I was right." Em kissed him lightly on his cheek.

"Yeah. Well. Yeah. Darn it Em, you need looking after." Gordon complained as she sat down again.

"I ain't the one in a hospital bed!" she shot back and yawned.

Gordon's shifted his gaze to his younger brother. Years of experience in working in International Rescue had made them able to communicate with just a look. Alan responded with a small raise of his eyebrow.

"I got us a couple rooms in the hotel across the way. How's about a nice nap?" Alan smiled at Em who was looking like the nap was going to be about 24 hours long.

Em stood up on slightly unsteady feet only to find Alan at her side supporting her. "I do feel kinda tired." she admitted and shot a look at Jeff Tracy and then a wan smile at Gordon.

"Don't you worry about Gordon. He's been through worse." Alan was saying as he led her away.

"Worse? When the hell was that? Why didn't anyone tell me...?" Em's angry words were cut off as Alan dragged her out of the room.

"Oh man, trust Alan to let that cat out of the bag." Gordon groaned.

"Speaking of cats out of bags, I'd like an explanation for this escapade." Jeff said sternly.

"Well, you see Father it was never Charlotte. It was always Em." Gordon leaned back as if this explained everything.

Jeff Tracy was silent for a moment and then nodded. "Yes." he said slowly. "I can see that."

"You can?!" Gordon was surprised that he was going to get off this easily. "She's great,isn't she?" His eyes began to blink and he felt sleep tug at him.

"You are serious about Em." Jeff stated the obvious.

"Yes Father. Very serious." Gordon shifted the cast to a more comfortable position and yawned widely again.

"Good. I like her. She's good for you Gordon."

"Is this some kind of reverse psychology?" Gordon asked suspiciously. He'd expected to have to put up a fight for Em.

"No. Son. I like Em. I suppose she will be alone for the holidays well, you... invite her to Tracy Island for Christmas?"

"Can I Father? That would be terrific!" Gordon looked like a ten-year-old presented with a new bike. "I can't wait to show her Thunderbird 4! FAB!!"

_Epilogue_

"I thought that turned out pretty well." Charlotte snuggled up to Oliver.

"You are so devious." Her husband of two days said admiringly. "Sending the invitation to Tracy for the funeral was so daring."

"Oh? Is that why you married me?" She pouted at him charmingly.

"Well, it wasn't for your inheritance. Only the house seems to be of some value."

"Yes, well a shame about Mommy's jewelry, but somehow I'm not surprised."

"And your sister gets Gordon Tracy. He is a millionaire's son. I'm surprised you passed him up for me."

"No excitement. Think of it! He is still living at home and working for Daddy. Poor Martha always wanted adventure in her life and she's ended up with a lazy rich boy. I'll give them six months, before she realizes how dull he and his life, and his family are."

THE END?


End file.
